


The Pharaoh's Rose (Atem/Yami Yugi x Reader)

by LafemeNikitta323



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Destiny, F/M, Fate, Fluff, Seal of Orichalcos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 74,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28646373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LafemeNikitta323/pseuds/LafemeNikitta323
Summary: (Y/n) (L/n) is the vessel of the Seal of Orichalcos. The Seal has tormented, attacked and abused her for so long but that doesn't stop her from playing Duel Monsters. When she finds out that the creator made a tournament, she was desperate to go. When she goes, she stumbles across Yugi Motou, who has a Millenium Puzzle that contains an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who has lived 5,000 years ago. Little does she know, she is more involved with this Puzzle than she thinks.
Relationships: Atem & Mutou Yuugi, Atem (Yu-Gi-Oh)/Reader, Mazaki Anzu | Tea Gardner & Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi & Yami Yuugi, Yami Yuugi/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	1. ~Notice of Background ~

**Author's Note:**

> This story is also on Quotev under the name Cheesy Bricks (it's me! I am using both my Quotev and Archive to start spreading my works!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also! There are 50 chapters total, 10 episodes per season!

I welcome you to my story!

I had been planning this story for a while now, and I can finally show my imagination for you all.

here is a little background I would like to share with you, I would've made a prologue, however, I do not want to spoil anything for the future. 

You are different compared to the rest, and one of the main reasons is because you are directly involved with the Seal of Orichalcos. You are its vessel, the Seal is attached to you and marked its sign on your left eye and your back. 

Your destiny is unknown to you, your grandfather told you the time will come where you will know what the Seal wants to do with you. 

Now, you live with your grandfather and little sister. Your grandfather, whom you call Papa, took you and your 4-year-old sister, Nymphi, in when your parents vanished. He helped you understand the Seal more. 

Now, in the story, you over-heard of a Tournament that persists of Duel Monsters. You have played Duel Monsters since you were around 16 years of age (you are 23 years old), so when you heard of this tournament you wanted to go as soon as possible. Your grandfather allowed you, but there is a cost; no one must know about the Seal. So you had no choice but to put an eye-patch over the eye that contains the mark of the Seal. To add on, you can't express any sort of strong emotion such as anger or fear. The Seal loves those types of emotions and eats it away which leads to the Seal starting up. 

And that is where the story begins, I shall leave you to read away on this dramatic tale~!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	2. Season 1; Episode 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is also on Quotev under the name of Cheesy Bricks!

**Opening;**

==========================

You exited the gate from the airport and stared around with a big smile on your face. 

You finally made it to Domino City, the place where it's known for Duel Monsters. Heck, you even heard that the King of Games, Yugi Motou is currently residing in this city. It would be a dream to try and duel him, but that isn't really the big and main reason why you're here.

You're here because you wanted to be apart of the Duelist Kingdom, hosted by the creator of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus. 

You walked down the sidewalk with your handbag. You didn't bring much because you knew you wouldn't be here for long...hopefully. You found a nice building that said 'DUELIST KINGDOM SIGN UPS'. You walked quickly inside and went to the front. 

"Ah, you're here to sign up? Just in time, today is the last day for sign-ups, young lady." The man in the front chuckled and loaded up the screen, "What's your name, young lady? From the last name to first." 

"(L/n), (Y/n)." You introduced yourself. 

"And how long have you played Duel Monsters?" 

"For 5 years sir." 

"Alright, and what is your address?" 

You bit your lip, "....I-Is that necessary?" You asked,

"Well, it's considered optional, but it _is_ recommended-"

"I would like to avoid my location, sir." You spoke softly, "I have been in places where I have been judged based on where I came from." You lied in that department. 

"Ah, it's okay." The man assured you and finished up the information given. "Alright, you're set. The boat leaves tonight, so be sure to head to this location." He gave you a slip containing the location, "I wish you the best of luck!" 

"Thank you!" You thanked dearly and left the store with glee, now you are officially involved in the tournament. You were excited about this, you always wanted to be apart of it and now you are. Papa was against it at first and it was mainly because of the Seal. You carefully put your hand over your eye-patch and took a light sigh. You assured Papa that as long as no one yanks the eye-patch off, you should be fine. It took Papa a while but he let you go. You took out your phone and headed to the destination where the boat is. 

Once you made it in, the boat was already loading people. You went to the nearest security and told them your name,

"Ah, Ms. (l/n), welcome." The security guard said with no smile. You mentally noted that these security guards won't be smiling anytime soon. You walked on the bridge and on the deck of the boat. There were lots of people with deck waiting impatiently for the boat to move to play Duelist Kingdom at Pegasus Island. You bit your lip as you saw these people, most of them didn't look too friendly. Is there anyone who you can be friends with? 

You felt a small tick inside, as you felt someone watching you from afar. This, concerned you. You started to look around, specifically the person who is watching you. Your eye eventually made contact with someone who was staring at you. 

He was....short. He looked to be around, let's say their teens? Possibly younger? He had big, purple eyes and he had....some hair. Lots of it. He had spiky, black and red hair, with his bangs yellow. By seeing him, you can tell he was friendly unlike most of the people on the boat. The moment you lay eye contact with him, he blinked and looked away with his cheeks red. He looked up, talked to someone next to him and the next thing you knew he was right in front of you. 

"Well hello there!" Your eye was averted to the teenager next to the boy. He had brown eyes with blonde hair in the shape of a....mohawk? You couldn't tell but the hairstyle had a 1950's appearance. 

"...Hello." You waved at the teen.

"I hate to bother ya, but my friend, Yugi Motou - or the King of Games - has been watchin' ya for some time." The teen pointed at the boy who still stared at you. Your eye widened a little and looked down on the boy,

"You're Yugi Motou!" You shrieked, 

"Why, yes I am," Yugi spoke for the first time,

"I think he has the hots for ya. Then again, I can see why." You glanced at the teen who was giving a sly smirk. And there goes your comfort for this boat ride. The teen and Yugi can tell you weren't feeling comfortable,

"Uh, my name's Joey. Joey Wheeler." The teen introduced himself, "S-Sorry about that, it's all Yugi's fault."

"Wha- _My fault?!_ " Yugi stared at Joey in shock. 

"Well, _you_ were the one starin' at her like a friggin eagle!" 

"I-It's not my fault, okay! I felt something...weird." Yugi huffed,

"...So you _do_ have the hots for her,"

"What! NO! I don't have the hots for (y/n)!" 

You perked up,

"How do you know my name?" You asked Yugi. 

"Wh-" Yugi went dead silent for some time, "...That's your name?" He asked,

"Wow, _creep._ " Joey crossed his arms. Yugi's cheeks went red as he looked at his friend,

"Joey!" 

"What? You said her name despite her not tellin' us." 

"I-I didn't even know that was her name!" Yugi shrieked,

"So explain how you said her name." 

"I-I don't know! Something inside told me that was her name!" Yugi explained the best way he could. 

"Something told ya inside that her name is (y/n)." Joey repeated Yugi's words with no enthusuiam and an eyebrow was raised. Yugi rapidly nodded his head, 

"Yes!" 

This concerned you. What if the Seal got itself involved with Yugi? Surely there is no other way for this boy to know your-

 **"...I am not involved."** A voice ran in your head. You perked up, 

**"It's the Boy. Keep an eye on him, you may like the results."** The Seal told you.

=======================

**Ending;**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	3. Season 1; Episode 2

**Opening;**

=======================

The next thing you knew you were talking with Yugi and Joey. You talked about how you were interested in Duel Monsters, and what got you to this tournament. 

"Where did ya come from?" Joey asked,

"Oh...uh.." You bit your lip, "I came from California-" 

"California? Aw, that's sweet!" Joey's eyes lit up, "Tell me are there any good-lookin' girls besides yourself?" 

"Joey!" Yugi shrieked,

"Uh...let's move on." You pushed off the subject to go to another. 

"Whaat? Just askin'." 

"We're _not_ going to California." Yugi shook his head and crossed his arms. 

"Why not?" Joey frowned,

"Let's stop creeping her out!" Yugi shrieked, "Let's talk about the Tournament, okay?" 

"Well okay then." Joey sighed,

"...How many star chips do you have?" You asked,

"1," Yugi answered, 

"Same as Yugi's." Joey sighed, 

"Huh...I have 2." 

"What?!" Yugi and Joey shrieked, "How?" 

"I am not sure." 

"Ugh...I fear that if everyone in this boat knows we have only one, they'll take advantage of us." Joey frowned, 

"Then be quiet about it." Yugi gave a small laugh. You gave a soft giggle,

"I can tell Joey is a little loud-mouthed, isn't he."

"Yeah, he kind of is." Yugi laughed as Joey frowned at his friend,

"Well excuse me!" Joey huffed and crossed his arms, "It's apart of my personality, you're gonna have to live with it." 

"Aha, is that so?" You tilted your head and laughed a little. 

"...Hey, (y/n), what happened to your eye?" Yugi asked. You turned pale and looked at him, 

"What do you mean?'

"Something is bugging me about it. Did something happen to your eye?" Yugi asked,

"Huh..now that you think of it.." Joey took a step closer to take a better look at your eye patch. You took a step back, now alert of the 2. What do you tell them?! You can't just tell them that you have a dangerous, soul-sucking seal on your eye! Imagine how they would react! You got to think fast on this one. 

"...There was an accident that happened when I was a child." You answered, "...and it sort of...well..." 

Joey backed off immediately and Yugi bit his lip, "...Sorry for asking." Yugi mumbled,

"No no, it's okay." You assured, "It wouldn't be long before my eye would be mentioned." 

Besides, you weren't lying completely, the Seal was forced on you as a child. 

"Well, what do we have here?" You heard a female call out from behind. You turned around to see a blonde, curly-haired girl. She was wearing a lavender outfit, her brown eyes staring at Yugi. Joey's cheeks went red as he examined her head to toe,

"Wow.." Joey gasped, 

"So, you're the Yugi kid everyone's been talking about?" The girl spoke as she approached him. 

"I am amazed that a squirt like you could beat Kaiba, you're famous you know." Mai kneeled over to his height and gave a smirk. You narrowed your eye, you didn't like her attitude. 

"Uh...thank you very much, I think," Yugi mumbled. He looked very uncomfortable. You couldn't blame him. 

"Hey miss, I'm a really good friend of the famous Yugi, the master duelist-"

"Look, you're either a champ or a chump. Cut this guy loose. He's fashion-challenged and deserves to be crushed in the games." The girl spoke very rudely. You frowned, you didn't like her at all. 

"Well with that attitude, I can see why no one is talking to you." You hissed at the girl. The girl rapidly turned around and faced you with a cold stare. Yugi and Joey looked at each other, then back to you and the girl. 

"Excuse me? I don't need anyone." She hissed

"Of course you don't because I can see you've put up such an attitude no one wants to even be _close_ to you." You hissed back. 

"ooh snap," Joey mumbled in the back. This girl looked offended, 

" _excuse me?_ "

"You're excused." Your eyebrow was raised, 

"Well, at least I don't look intimidating." The girl gave a small smirk, "With that eye-patch, I can see no one wants to even take a step closer to you." 

"Heard of the phrase 'never judge a book by its cover'?" You leaned forward with your arms crossed, "You may look cute and nice but people can sense a spoiled and disgusting attitude." You smirked to see the girl take a gasp of offense.

"Doesn't matter." The girl huffed and turned around, "That will change once I crush you and everyone in the games. Oh, the name's Mai." Mai winked at Yugi, gave you a cold stare, and left.

"Well, I'll be danged!" Joey clapped his hands together with a wide smile, "Look at Ms. Savage (y/n) over here!" He seemed pretty happy about that, You looked at Joey,

"I can't help it. She had such a horrible attitude." You crossed your arms with a frown, "And the way she treated you? Ugh, it was so horrible." You scoffed. Yugi gave a small chuckle, approached you and patted your back,

"Well, it's nice to have friends who back you up!" 

**His touch-**

It was familiar yet it wasn't. You stared at Yugi, now that you think of it, he reminded you of someone...but who? 

"Everyone get inside!" You heard a security guard call out and snapped you out of your thoughts. 

"Ah, we should get going, come on!" Yugi ran forward into the boat. You stared at Yugi, then at Joey who was following him. 

"Come on (y/n)!" Joey called out,

"Oh...coming." You walked with the 2 boys. 

=====

Turns out Joey wasn't exactly wanted to begin with. Many security guards tackled Joey when he complained about the rooms. You just sat there and watched Joey getting tackled, but it wasn't long until Joey's eyes averted to another place and lightened up,

"Weevil and Rex, the Dino Duelist!" Joey shrieked. You looked at his direction to see 2 boys. One of them had a blue bowl-cut hair with large, circle-shaped glasses. The other was a boy with long brown hair with a red beanie. 

"You're wasting your time with those guys. The private rooms only go from the last championship, like us." The one with the brown hair said with a smug smile. You shifted, you aren't getting a friendly vibe from these guys. However, Yugi seemed oblivious to their nature and ran up to them with a smile,

"Congratulations on winning the regionals, Weevil!" Yugi congratulated the one with the bowl-cut. Weevil. 

"It was nothing." Weevil spoke as if winning was nothing to him. How condescending. 

"Yeah, I went easy on him that time." Rex huffed, and Weevil gave him a cold stare. These people with their condescending looks annoyed you. 

"Well, yeah? Yugi and I are going to be in the tournament!" Joey broke off from security. 

"To tell you all the truth, winning the last championship didn't feel that much of an achievement. I guess I can't really call myself the champion until I defeat the duelist who beat Kaiba. But I'm sure I'll end up battling you in the big tournament Yugi. And frankly, I am looking forward to it." Weevil said with a smug smile

"Well, I am looking forward to it as well," Yugi said with a sweet smile. You felt disgusted with how these people are treating Joey and Yugi. In fact, you felt disgusted to stay in the same room as those 2. All these people are too condescending and rude. You asked the nearest security guard where your room is, and left quietly the moment they told you where. You sat down on the couch in your room and took a deep breath. You were told by Papa that there would be spoiled brats but you never knew that almost everyone in the tournament is. You frowned at the thought of dueling these people, what if you lose to them? How would they react? Oh boy, will you get it big time. You took out your deck and stared at it for a while. You'll be using this deck in less than a day. You gave a small chuckle and held your deck against your chest. You got up and went over to the bed. 

**"Someone's outside the door."** A familiar disoriented voice sprung from your head. You had no other choice but to hop out of the bed to see who was outside

When you opened the door, no one was there. But you had a feeling someone was there, right infront of you,

staring at you.

===========================

**Ending;**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	4. Season 1; Episode 3

**Opening;**

**=======================**

You woke up at the crack of dawn. You were surprised you had a dreamless sleep, usually, at nights the Orichalcos gets hyper and torments you. You got up, dressed up, brushed your hair and put on your eye-patch. However, before you put on your eye-patch, you stared at your cursed eye. 

You saw the dull, (e/c) orb tainted with the Seal stare at the mirror. 

It's all because of this, you can't open yourself to people. 

Your finger went over the cursed eye and sighed. It's a burden you have to bear for the rest of your life until at least you have a child and the Seal takes a liking to them. But with this Seal attached to you, who would want to marry you?

You let out a huge sigh, put on your eye-patch and left your dorm to the deck only to find out the boat has arrived at Pegasus Island. You stared in awe at the island, so this is where you are going to prove yourself a good duel monster player. You clenched your fists with a big smile, here you are going to show Papa and Nymphi what you've got! 

"Ah! (y/n)!" You heard a voice call your name. You turn around to see Yugi running up to you with a big smile, and he was followed by 3 other people.

You recognized Joey, but the 2 other people looked new. One of them was a girl, with short hair up to her shoulders, bright blue eyes. She wore a plain yellow shirt covered by a small pink jacket and a short blue skirt. The other was a tall male with a brown mohawk, wearing a plain white shirt with a long light beige jacket and long blue jeans. You watched them approach you, the girl didn't look too happy when she saw you. 

"How was your sleep?" Yugi asked with a warm smile,

"It was fine, how was yours?" You asked,

"Well, I would say I had a nice night, but the worst thing happened the last night," Yugi frowned,

"What happened?" You asked with concern. 

"Well, Weevil tossed Yugi's cards in the ocean." Joey frowned and glared at the little man, 

"He did _what?!_ " You gasped, "Why did he do that!?"

"Because Weevil is a jerk, that's why." 

"And Joey made a stupid decision and jumped in the ocean in an attempt to get my cards back," Yugi crossed his arms with a smirk, "A kind gesture but he wasn't able to get them."

"Well, at least I tried!" Joey stomped his foot.

"Oh, (y/n), meet my other friends," Yugi turned to his friends, "This is Tea Gardner," He pointed at the girl who was staring you down, "And this is Tristan Taylor." He pointed to the other man who was staring you with wide eyes,

"Well, hello there" Tristan gave a small smirk and held your hand, "It is nice to meet you...Ms?" 

"(y/n) (l/n)." You introduced yourself,

"A lovely name for such an angel like yourself," Tristan spoke, but was soon smacked in the head by Tea,

"Don't make her uncomfortable!" Tea snapped, then turned to you, "Sorry about that, I assume Joey has been the same to you?" 

"...Kind of." You answered honestly, Tea glared at Joey who hid behind Yugi. 

"..I am so sorry." Tea sighed and took out her hand, "It is nice to meet you, (y/n)!" 

"L-Likewise." You took her hand with a smile. 

"Attention, Duelists." A speaker came out, "Please disembark in an orderly fashion." 

You noticed Tristan and Tea whispering amongst themselves and Tristan didn't look too happy.

"Oh yeah, did you know these 2 snuck in the boat?" Yugi whispered,

"..Oh." You blinked, 

"Yeah...let's just say they aren't supposed to be here right now." Yugi laughed and walked down to the island, with you following after some time. 

"I can't wait to be apart of the tournament." You spoke with a smile, 

"Oh yeah, what brought you here anyway?" Yugi asked,

"Well, you see, I have been playing for a long time." You winked at him with excitement, "And when I heard about this tournament I had to go!"

"So you're just here for fun? Not for the rewards?" Yugi asked, shocked.

"For me, the reward is playing against people who know how to play," You answered, "Not money nor fame."

"That's something to look up for." Yugi said with a warm smile, "...I wish I came here for that reason." He mumbled

"Why? Did you come here for fame?" You asked,

"No...it's just that-"

"You there." a security guard cut you off. You, Yugi, Tea, and Joey turned to see Tristan with a security guard. _Oh boy...._

"Don't look so nervous, you guys are our guests here." The guard said with a small smile on his face

"That's right!" Tristan squeaked and bowed, "I am your guest." With that, he turned around and awkwardly walked off to Tea. 

"I think I just had a heart attack," Tristan panted and clenched his chest,

"Way to play it cool, Tristan. That wasn't suspicious at all." Tea sighed. Joey let out an excited shriek,

"All right! Every single one of us made it here! Safe and s- ACHOO!" He sneezed. Tea let out a shriek and Tristan bolted back, 

"You would never have caught that cold if it wasn't for Weevil.." Yugi let out a worried look. You crossed your arms.

"Why do you think I left earlier that night?" You asked Yugi, "They are nothing but trouble, and it looks like I was right." 

"Aha..girls and their senses." Joey let out a chuckle and Tea glared at him,

"Care to clarify what that means?" 

"N-No- Oh speak of the devil, here's little insect boy and he looks like he wants to cause some trouble." Joey frowned. You turned around to see that little dwarf smirking at Yugi. Ugh... you let out a shudder. 

"That slimeball...I would love to wipe that smirk off his face." Joey mumbled. 

"Attention, duelists!" A guard came. "Follow these stairs to meet your host." 

And so you did. As you went up the stairs, a sickening feeling emerged in your stomach. You felt unsafe here, something is lurking through this tournament- 

**_"And we have the ring, the puzzle AND the eye in one place."_** It seethed. You turned pale, you never heard the Seal so mad before. The last it was so mad was when you refused to take a certain soul. After that event, it tormented you for an entire week. It was so bad, you didn't sleep for 3 days, and you refused anyone to see you, not even Nymphi. 

But what does it mean? What is it referring to? Is it something dangerous? 

"(y/n)?" Yugi pulled you out of your thoughts, "You okay there? You look really pale." 

"Oh, I am fine." You gave out a small laugh, 

"You sure? Do you feel well?" Tristan came in, 

"I feel fine, just...uh..." You bit your lip, "Just thinkin', what if I lose?" You lied

"Aw, don't worry yourself over that." Yugi let out a small laugh, "I am sure you'll do great. After, all you have played for a while now." 

"Aha...maybe so." You mumbled and watched the very creator walk out of his balcony in his castle. You looked up and froze. You sensed something off with this man, you can tell he did something cruel. 

"Greetings, duelists! I am Maximillion Pegasus!" Pegasus raised his hands with glee, "It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you all to the Duelist Kingdom," He continued, "You stand before me, the world's greatest duelists! But tournament's end, only one shall be crowned King of Games! I implore you all to assemble your decks with care, creativity, and cunning!" Pegasus' smile grew as he spoke, "Now, to keep progress, you will be given a glove with 2-star chips. You need to collect 10-star chips total to enter my castle and reach the championships. You earn star chips by your opponent in your duels. You all have an hour to prepare." 

And so that hour passed and you and the others went off. 

"Well? What's your plan, Yugi?" Tea asked,

"...Might as well start with Weevil." Yugi answered, "After all, we have a settle to score. He'll pay for tossing my cards in the oceans." 

"You're talkin' my language!" Joey cheered,

"Hey, isn't he over there?" Tea asked and pointed ahead. Sure he was, alright. Weevil was standing over with a condescending smile, as usual.

"Weevil, I challenge you to a duel!" Yugi yelled. 

Weevil gave a smirk and took off. 

"...How condescending." You hissed and ran after him. Not long after, Yugi and the others followed. You heard his laugh in the distance and moths came in for an attempt to block the path. But that didn't stop you and the gang, so it wasn't long before you made it. 

"Weevil, it's time you answer for what you did on the boat!" Yugi hissed. 

Then....it happened. You sensed a drastic change.

 _ **"...And here he comes..."**_ It grumbled.

What? What is it talking about? Who is 'he'? 

It wasn't long until you got something about what the Seal said, you saw an immediate change with Yugi. 

"Alright Weevil, time to find out if you're as good at dueling as you are at running away." Yugi...was no longer Yugi to you. His voice was deeper than usual, and he had a boosting confidence you never saw in Yugi's figure when you first met him. And this time...he looks...oddly familiar to you. His presence alone is familiar. His presence was bold, persistent, daring yet filled with care. It reminded you of last night when the Seal told you someone's outside, but when you checked no one was there. 

"Was I simply running away or leading you to my web?" Weevil asked with a big smirk, 

'Yugi' had a big smirk on his face, "it's time to duel!" 

........It's all too familiar yet hard to put it in your head. You stared at the man you see before you.

_..Who is he and why is he familiar?_

_=================================_

**_~_ Ending;  ~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	5. Season 1; Episode 4

~Opening; ~

==================================

"It's time to duel!" The one called Yugi spoke with a grin on his face. 

"Heh heh heh!" Weevil chuckled, "As you wish!" He screamed as the ground began to shake. 

"What have you done...!" Yugi mumbled as Weevil laughed. The floor cracked and split into 2

"Whoa, the entire floor is transforming!" Tristan gasped and watched as a giant platform emerged from the ground.

"You've just stepped into a hornet's nest, Yugi," Weevil said with a smirk, "and there is no way out!" 

"What is that?" Yugi asked

"Well now, arena's like these must be all over the island!" Joey gasped,

"I'll meet you on the field." Weevil said as he walked over to the red side. Yugi walked over to the blue side, but before the lever picked him up, he gave a quick glance over to you. 

"I am not liking this.." Joey mumbled. 

"...Neither do I." You agreed with Joey, 

"Aha, you have a one-star chip, correct?" Weevil asked, "Then I will have the honor to eliminate you from this tournament! Once you're gone, picking everyone else's chips will be a piece of cake!" 

"Not if I take your first 2 chips first," Yugi answered, 

"What?"

"This will be an all or nothing match, Weevil."

"Why would I waste my chips for one single star chip?" Weevil laughed,

"Because I have something I think you want," Yugi took out his deck, "My deck." 

What?! You gasped, "At-Yugi are you crazy?!" You stuttered out his name. You froze, what were you going to call him in the first place? You already know his name is Yugi, right? Yugi's attention immediately went to you, his violet eyes stared deep into your (e/c) ones. He gave off a gesture as if he knows what he is doing

"BE QUIET YOU BLIND GIRL." Weevil hissed at you, 

"HEY! DON'T CALL HER THAT YOU JERK!" Joey screamed at him. Weevil rolled his eyes and turned to Yugi,

"If you want to risk your Grandpa's deck then that's fine with me. I get to exterminate you with your own deck!" Weevil said with a chuckle

"Grandpa's deck?" You mumbled to yourself, 

"...Yugi is here because Pegasus took his Grandpa." Joey walked over to you, "Ya see, it's kind of a weird tale but in short, Pegasus has Yugi's Grandpa, and he wants to win to get him back." 

"..I see..." You looked at Yugi with concern. 

"If ya wanna know more, you can talk to Yugi himself." Joey continued, "But I would recommend waiting a little bit." 

You looked at Joey and gave a little nod. You weren't sure why Joey told you to ask Yugi about his Grandpa who has been kidnapped by the creator of the Duel Monsters, but it was nice to know that Joey confirmed the reason why Yugi's here. 

"You guys are seriously talking while Yugi is in a duel with Weevil!?" Tea yelled at you and Joey. Joey flinched and looked at Tea then back at you,

"Sorry about Tea, she is a little protective over Yugi-"

"What did I just say?!" Tea interrupted. 

But that isn't Yugi..... You wanted to tell them but who would believe you? After all, these guys have known Yugi for a while now. You looked back up at the battlefield, directly to Yugi. 

"I place one card facedown," Yugi said as he did the action. He watched as Weevil made a laugh at him and continued on of how he is going to win by his insects. 

You knew that whoever that is up there fighting Weevil, isn't Yugi. You have told yourself that so many times you are certain of it. Your thoughts completely lifted you away from the battle between Yugi and Weevil. You knew something was up, but what is it? 

Maybe you can ask the Seal? It has to know at least something, right? 

As much as you wanted to ask it, you knew it wouldn't give you the answer unless it's in the mood to help - which is rare. Maybe you can ask Yugi? 

..

No that's stupid. 

What if you're wrong? What if you're just imagining things, and Yugi is more determined in dueling than you expected? 

But something inside is telling you that you're right. Yugi has changed, but if that's the case, how? Is a ghost possessing him? 

"Hey! That's cheating, you're a cheater!" Joey's scream caught you off guard as you looked at Joey

"What-"

"Weevil is messin' with him! He's a liar and a cheater!" Joey pointed at Weevil and gave him a glare. 

"Call me a cheater, you are all just mad you didn't pay attention to the rules like I did!" Weevil said and looked at Joey with an evil smile. Joey growled at him,

"He's such a-"

"He has an ugly character." You came in with a smirk, "Of course by seeing how he looks he's fit to be one." 

Weevil had his full attention to you, "Excuse me?" He looked a little offended. 

"Yeah, you heard me Mr. Geek for Insects." You nodded your head, "I assume you have an insect garden in your house? Maybe your room is infested with them?" You heard Weevil growl at you, "Do your parents allow you to have a bunch of insects? If that's the case then bravo for your dedication-"

"Rgghhhh BE QUIET YOU BLIND THING." Weevil hissed,

"HEY." Yugi hissed, "DON'T TALK TO HER LIKE THAT YOU SWINE." 

Everyone's attention averted to Yugi with shock, especially Tea and the others. 

"Now pay attention to this duel, Weevil. We aren't finished!" Yugi said and held a card, "I place one card face down." 

"Hmph, fine." Weevil turned to Yugi with a cold stare. 

You were shocked by what you had just heard. His voice was so powerful, so strong, you never heard him sound so angry before. 

"...Whoa..." Joey gave a little shiver, "Talk about bein' powerful." 

"That was....very strong coming from Yugi." Tristan nodded his head, 

"Well, what else would you do if someone was making fun of your friend?" Tea asked with her hands on her hips,

"That may be so," Mai kicked in unexpectedly, "But I'd never suspect he would say it with such a voice, especially the language he used. Has he ever used that type of language before?"

"....N-No..." Tea looked down for a second, then back up, "But I am sure there is a reason behind it. Maybe Yugi has had enough of Weevil?" 

"Maybe.." Joey nodded his head, "I mean come on, it's Weevil. Anyone can snap like that at him and I wouldn't be surprised." He shrugged and looked at you with a grin, 

"Although I have to admit it, you did a reeeeeeally good job on roastin' 'em like that." He praised your words

"Yeah, someone give her a medal for slamming someone down!" Tristan gave a smirk and patted your back hard. You would've taken that but you realized something.

The Seal. 

Yes, the Seal has forged its mark on your eye, but in order for the Seal to be apart of you, your back must be carved into the Seal itself for judgment on whether or not you are its vessel. So, the moment Tristan slapped your back, pain shot through all over. You let out a small shriek and placed your hands gingerly on your back,

"ah...sorry about that. Must've hit you a little too hard." Tristan gave a nervous laugh and was slapped by Tea. 

"You boys need to learn how to be gentle at times." She murmured. 

"But in all serious business, are you seriously going to let Weevil win?" Joey looked at Yugi, "You're doin' this for your grandpa! You can't let him down!" 

"...I know. Yugi nodded his head,

"Then don't let him win!" Joey continued, 

"Yeah, don't let this insect-geek take your victory away," You came in,

"What did you just call me?!" Weevil hissed at you,

"You heard me, Weevil." You turned to him with a glare, "I bet if you weren't in Duel Monsters your house would have nothing but insects." 

"You little brat!" Weevil hissed,

"Takes one to know one," You responded with crossed arms. 

"SOMEONE GIVE WEEVIL AN ICE PACK CAUSE HE JUST GOT BUUURRNED," Someone screamed from across the battlefield. Yugi bit his lip to prevent a laugh. 

"HEH, I KNOW RIGHT!" Joey yelled in agreement with that person. 

"Well, I am glad to know we are the same." Weevil responded with a smirk. 

"What makes you think she is at the same level as you?" Yugi asked. 

"OOOH SNAP" Joey screamed with a big smile, "THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" 

"You guys don't know who you're messing with, do you..." Mai slammed her hand against her forehead. 

"Now can we continue with the duel or not." Yugi hissed. 

"Let me make this clear, Yugi, once I exterminate you, I will be fighting that idiotic girl and push both of you to the boat out of here!" Weevil pointed at you. You clenched your fists, why that little...insignificant...stupid little- 

"Yes....feel all that anger...." 

Your eye pounded in pain. You perked up and clenched your eye-patch

"(y/n)? Are you okay?" Tea immediately noticed your sudden action, and you nodded in response

"Y...Yeah...I just need to...to uh...leave for a few." You responded with your breath held short. You took off quickly away from everyone at the battlefield shortly after.

"Ah! Wait, (y/n)!" Tea reached out to you

"Is she okay?" Tristan asked,

"She said she needed some air." Tea responded,

"Or she can't take Weevil's nonsense," Joey mumbled, "That seems reasonable and relatable to me." 

"She probably felt offended," Mai sighed, "Honestly, I don't care." 

Tea glared at her, "Excuse you, she didn't look well." 

"Tea." Yugi called to her, "Go after her, please." 

"Are you sure? She seemed pretty intent on going alo-"

"I am not comfortable with her alone. Go, please." Yugi interrupted as Weevil took his turn. 

"...Okay." Tea nodded and ran after you shortly.

======================================

~Ending; ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment  
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	6. Season 1; Episode 5

~ **Opening; ~**

=========================================

You leaned against the tree and gasped for air. Your hand was over your eye-patch, you couldn't watch the duel anymore despite something inside telling you to stay there. 

_"(Y/n), if you show any strong negative emotions the Seal will feed off of it and show activity. You can't allow yourself to show them."_ Papa told you before you headed out to Domino City. 

And he was right. Your eye throbbed in pain, your back stung. You fell to your knees and took deep breaths.

 _Breathe in....breathe out...that's it! You're doing great, think of happy things, happy things._ You thought. You then proceeded to try to think happy things, like when Nymphi first interacted with snow or when Papa got stuck to the slide when he tried to show Nymphi how safe the slide is. 

_Hehe..._ moments like those went through your head and you leaned against the tree to laugh it off a little. Slowly and eventually, the excruciating pain wore off but it took a toll on you. You didn't feel so good, but where are you going to go? There is no First Aid Hospital, is there? Even if you go, what do you tell them? There could be a possibility that the doctors want to see your eye to check up on it or something.

And this is why you can't have nice things. 

"God damnit.." You mumbled and hit your head gently against the bark. 

"Uh...hey, you there!" You heard who sounds like a teenage boy calling out to you. Your eye averted to see a teenage boy approaching you, he had a bowl-cut brown hair with blue eyes. He wore a red plaid shirt with overalls. 

"U..Uhm..." The boy fidgeted, "D-Do you want to duel?" He asked,

"Oh..." You blinked and slowly got up, "If you want." 

"R-Really?" The boy's eyes lit up, "I-I never was able to duel anyone before - well, duel anyone outside my friend circle over at my school." He seemed excited about this, "S-So technically you're my first competitor!"

"Well, I am honored to be your first competitor." You gave a gentle smile and leaned against the tree,

"O-Oh boy I am so nervous and excited already." The boy mumbled and looked at the ground, "Y...You ready?"

"Sure." You shrugged,

"L-Let's duel then!" The boy shrieked and the ground began to rumble. It wasn't long before the platform rose and stood in place. The boy ran over to the red side and you walked to the blue side. The moment you were raised up, you took out your deck and took out both your star chips.

"S-So it's an all or nothing duel?" The boy asked,

"Mhm." You nodded, "If you'd like we can only sacrifice 1-"

"NO!" The boy shrieked, "W-We can do 2!" He took both his chips and placed it beside him. "I-It's time to duel!" 

"M-My turn!" The boy mumbled and took out one card from his deck, "..I-I place Monster Slayer in attack mode and I end my turn!" 

Monster Slayer, a tall, tough-looking blonde male who is wearing gold armor. His attack points are 1690 and his defense is 1700.

"Alright.." You took out one card from your deck, "...I place Mermaid Wonder in attack mode, and I end my turn." 

Mermaid Wonder. A single mermaid with long pink hair, green eyes, a purple shell around her chest, and a long blue tail. Her attack points are 1950 and her defense is 1500. 

The boy stared in awe at the mermaid, "W...whoa.." He mumbled, 

"She's pretty, isn't she?" You asked with a small smile, 

"Y-Yeah..." 

"Mermaid Wonder, attack Monster Slayer with your Siren Screech!" You called your mermaid and watched it screech into the Slayer, instantly getting rid of the card. The boy whimpered and looked at you as his life points went down from 2000 to 1950. 

"O-Oh yeah? I'll show you." He took out another card, "I place Plant Absorber in defense mode," A giant venus flytrap showed up with sharp teeth; Attack Points were 1500 and Defense Points were 1725, "And I place Death's King in attack mode!" 

A big knight appeared. He wore black armor, with some shade feeding off of his aura. No skin was shown, only his white pale eyes were shown. He held a big black sword and was ready to attack; Attack Points were 1790 and Defense Points were 1500. 

"My turn." You took out another card and gave a small smirk to see you took out a trap card, "I place Hysterical Skeleton in Defense mode," A laughing skeleton appeared in the field, it laughed non stop; Attack Points were 1500, Defense Points were 1695, "...and I place one card face-down. I end my turn." You placed the trap card face down and ended your turn then and there. 

"D-Death's King, attack the Skeleton with your Fatal Swing and attack the face-down card!!" The boy shrieked and watched the King swing and eliminate the Hysterical Skeleton. 

"Ah, you've just activated my trap card." You raised an eyebrow and watched the trap card face the boy, "The Millenium Helper." 

"Wh-What is -"

"This card gives a boost to any monster I choose." You crossed your arms and gave the boy a small smirk, "So you probably know which monster I am going to choose, right?" 

"O-Oh.." The boy looked at the mermaid,

"Millenium Helper, give aid to my Mermaid Wonder and have her eliminate the King!" You ordered and watched the event do so. Mermaid Wonder's attack points boosted up from 1950 to 2300 and she charged at the Death King. She annihilated both the King and most of the kid's life points. From 1950, it went down 1400.

"N-No way..." The boy stared in shock

"Woohoo! Go (y/n)!" You looked over to see Tea jumping for joy. You were shocked to see her, how did she manage to find you so quickly? Well, there is a duel going on so maybe she reached here through the duel's appearance. You also noticed people crowding over and watching in awe. 

"I-I place The Penguin Mastermind in Attack Mode along with the Spell Card Blasting Hell!" The boy placed 2 cards, one of them was a literal penguin wearing a tuxedo and glasses. His skin was purple and blue, his eyes pure green; His Attack Points were 1900 and his Defense was 1600. 

"With this spell card, I can give any opponent a hard time by boosting my monster from 200 - 600 points!" He said with a small smirk, "And I boost my Penguin by 500 points!" 

_500 points?!_ You watched the Penguin boost up in energy from 1900 to 2400. 

"Now Penguin! Get rid of the Mermaid and some of this girl's life points!" He ordered and the Penguin launched an attack which caused the elimination of Mermaid Wonder and 100 life points from yourself; from 2000 to 1900. 

"H-How was that?" The boy asked,

"It wasn't bad, I'll admit." You sighed and pulled out another card from your deck to see another trap card; your personal favorite and a good trap card for use in this duel. 

"I place a card facedown and Beauty's Prince in Attack Mode." 

A blonde prince appeared with purple eyes, along with a pink royal top and blue tights. He wore a purple cape and gave the boy a charming smile. Attack Points were 1800 and his Defense was 1500. 

"Hah. You think you can defeat my Penguin with that....good-looking prince....uh....Penguin! Attack the Prince!" 

"Again, you stepped into my trap card." You shook your head and watched the card pull up, "Grim Reaper's Hand." 

"Wh-What-"

"This card takes most points from any opponent." You explained and watched the hand get out of the card and attach itself to the Penguin. The boy turned pale and watched the Penguin's Attack Points drain from 2400 to 1750. 

"That's a lot of points..." an observer mumbled,

"Now, Prince attack the Penguin and most of his life points." You watched the Penguin get destroyed and the boy's life points drop to 1350. 

"I-I'll show you-" The boy took out a card, "I place Frankenstein in attack mode and The Titan Eater in Defense!" 

Frankenstein, a horrid monster, appeared. He looked exactly like of how he appears in the book itself. Attack Points; 1750, Defense Points; 1500. 

The Titan Eater looked like a hunched skinless creature. The entire body was nude but it was plain; nothing inappropriate was showing. It was hunched back with razor sharp teeth and black, soulless eyes. Attack Points were 1500, Defense Points were 1800.

 _ **"**_ _ **oooh,**_ _ **I like this one."**_ The Seal mumbled. **" _Look at_ _its_ _appearance."_**

You glanced at the Beauty's Prince and narrowed your eye, his defense points is 1500 and this Frankenstein has attack points of 1750, meanwhile, there is the Titan Eater at 1800 in Defense. How are you going to pull it off? You pulled another card from your deck to see a Spell Card.

"I place the Enchanted Balloon Spell Card." You place the card on your deck, "This spell boosts up my Prince's attack mode by 500 points." You explained as the Prince's attack points went up to 2300.

"Wh-Where do you get these cards?!" The boy shrieked

"My grandpa holds a very wealthy Duel Monster's Corps over where I live." You answered with a small smile, "Harper's Trading Card's Era, sound familiar?" 

"N-No...I'll be sure to check it out after the duel though," The boy responded, 

"Huh, well okay then. Prince! Attack Frankenstein!" You watched the Prince charge at Frankenstein and destroy the monster. You watched the boy mumble something to himself, then clenched his fists,

"I...I...I can't take this!" The boy shrieked, "I-I want to lose!" 

"You want to lose?" you raised an eyebrow, "How come?"

"I-I don't feel prepared to fight someone as strong as you...I-I want to lose-"

"...You can't quit in the middle of a duel." You spoke,

"T-Then annihilate me please!" 

"....Okay?" You blinked and looked at the Prince. Time to finish the duel? 

~A couple of minutes later~ 

The platform went back underground as the boy went to his knees. Tea greeted you with a big hug and congratulated you for your....win? You didn't really call it a win but Tea thought otherwise. After the hug, you approached the boy,

"You okay..?"

"I-I promise after this I will improve." The boy looked at you with admiration, "And I will defeat you!" 

"...I wish you good luck then?" You tilted your head and watched him give you his 2 chips and ran off. What a weird boy....

"Oh, Tea, why did you follow me?" You turned to Tea,

"Ah, well....I originally didn't follow you but Yugi insisted I had to." Tea responded,

"Yugi?" You blinked,

"Yeah, he didn't feel comfortable seeing you leave all by yourself, so he had me come to you." Tea nodded. 

"...Is that so..." you mumbled.

"They are ova here! Yo Tea, (y/n)!" You heard Joey call. You turned around to see Yugi, Tristan, and Joey running to you and Tea, 

"Hi you guys! You just missed it!" Tea said with glee,

"What did we miss?" Tristan asked,

"(y/n) just did her first duel, and wow she has good cards." Tea praised you, "Heck, she made that boy quit in the middle of the game!"

"Did she now," Yugi - who still had that presence you sensed earlier - gave you a smile, "Then maybe someday we should duel."

"Why not now?" You asked

"I don't want to exterminate you from the tournament." Yugi replied with a chuckle, "I'd prefer we play for fun." 

"Alright then....you're on." You nodded your head and watched him reach out his hand,

"Then it's a deal. Once we finish this tournament, prepare for a little visit from me." 

"Deal." You shook his hand -

wait a minute.

Why does his hand feel familiar to you?

=========================================

~ **Ending; ~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	7. Season 1; Episode 6

**Opening;**

==============================================

You and the gang were walking around the island. They were all pretty happy things turned out well. 

As for Yugi...

"Hey, (y/n)!" Yugi turned at you with a gentle smile, "Tea told me how good you were at the duel!" 

He's the plain, old Yugi you met at the boat. 

You were a bit shocked when you saw Yugi being....Yugi. You asked how he has been and he said he was doing fine, he even felt happy that he beat Weevil in the duel. 

So maybe that weird sense from earlier was just you panicking? No, you felt something was...up with this boy. 

Besides, if you were making up that feeling then the Seal would be laughing their head off, right? Besides, the Seal didn't like Yugi during that time, so that means you weren't imagining things. So what is going on? 

"Well, now that's aside it's time for me to have my own duel. I've been aching for one since we got here!" Joey pumped his fists together with a smirk, "The next player is mine to beat!" He said with enthusiasm and ran up a hill,

"You know, I'm not so sure Joey is up for this." Tea mumbled

"Yeah, there are some really good duelists over here." Tristan agreed, "But don't you think he's smart _enough_ to realize-"

"Y'all are looking at the next Duel Monsters Champion guys!" Joey interrupted Tristan with a big smile. You gave a small laugh as Tea facepalmed,

"He needs a reality check." She mumbled. 

"He's as smart as he looks..." Tristan sighed,

"Well I think he's got a lot of potential." You crossed your arms with a smile. Yugi laughed,

"I agree with (y/n), he's got lots of potential. I mean, he's fighting for his sister." 

"His sister?" You looked at Yugi,

"Yeah, you see, his sister, Serenity, has an operation for her eyes because her eyes are really bad at the moment. So when Joey wins, he can get the prize money and pay for the operation." Yugi explained,

"So everyone here has a deep reason why they want to win except for me?" You asked with a nervous laugh. Yugi laughed,

"Guess so." He nodded his head. 

"Do you not have a goal for the tournament?" Tea asked,

"No, not at all." You shook your head with a small grin, "I came just to fight some really good duelists and go home." 

"Well that's normal for most duelists, right?" Tristan asked,

"Yeah, it's just that most of us here don't have good luck as we anticipated." Yugi nodded his head. 

"Ooh! Guys look over there!" Tea pointed over down the hill and you looked to see lots of duel stadiums up and running. 

"Whoa...so many duels!" Tristan said with awe,

"You said it, Tristan." Yugi said with a smile,

"Alright guys I am goin' in," Joey clenched his fists. 

"You sure you want to do this? If you lose you give up your only Star Chip." Tristan looked at Joey, 

"That's right." Tea nodded and Joey turned pale and collapsed as a result.

"Don't panic, you got this Joey. You do know that, don't you?" Yugi looked at Joey, who looked at Yugi with a small smile,

"I hope you're right, Yugi. This'll be my first official duel and I can't afford to get knocked out on the first trial." Joey agreed,

"Yeah, well not everyone down there is a pro. I am sure you can find someone on your level." Yugi looked down at the crowd with thought.

"Look for someone easy." Tea advised. 

"I guess I should start on what type of field my cards are best at. They're all mostly monsters and fighters type....so maybe this meadow field is my type." Joey looked at the grass 

"Mhm, you're right. See? You know what you're doing." Yugi nodded his head with a smile. You looked at Joey with some sympathy, he really looks down on himself sometimes, does he...

Well, you can't blame him, can you? 

"Ugh...you hear that?" Tea looked at you with annoyance. 

"Hear what?" You blinked,

 _"Give me your starchips!"_ You heard an ugly whine that sounded all too familiar. You and Tea gave each other a look, 

_"....Mai."_ You and Tea said at the same time. Everyone's gaze averted to Mai, who was laughing victoriously at her victory

"You cheated somehow!" Her opponent frowned at her, "How could you know what your cards were without even looking at them!" 

"I'm psychic and you're done~" Mai said with a wink and watched the opponent leave with tears in his eyes. Your eye narrowed as you watched him leave. You felt bad for him...

"Well well well~ Look who's here!" Mai noticed you and the gang, 

_**"What a sweet aroma.."**_ The Seal mumbled and got your attention. 

"She's already got 2 more star chips.." Joey whispered in awe. 

"Hey, Yugi!" Mai approached Yugi, "Are your duels going well~?" 

"I am making progress." Yugi nodded and watched Mai take his hand,

"My my! You have 3 star chips already! I might be up for a duel myself." Mai stared at his hand in awe. 

**"Take her."** Tea mumbled furiously at Yugi. **"Knock her out of the contest and off the island."** She doesn't like Mai, does she? Well, as you thought to yourself earlier, can you blame her? 

"Mmmmm I am definitely in the mood for a duel...so get ready, Joey!" Mai pointed at Joey with a smirk, "Cause I choose you!" 

"What!?" Joey shrieked, "You challenge me?!"

"Do you accept?" Mai asked,

"G-Guess you've heard about my skill..." Joey mumbled,

"No, process of elimination - I get rid of the weakest to the strongest." Mai responded with a wink, "Besides, you have one star chip - I overheard you on the boat with Yugi, if you have only one star chip that means you must be the weakest!" 

"Do you have to be this insulting?" Joey asked,

"....She's being truthful this time." Tea mumbled, as Joey looked offended at Tea's response. 

"Don't take her first." Tea advised,

"Keep in mind, Joey, if you lose you're gone." Tristan warned, 

"Yugi.." You looked at Yugi and watched him sigh.

"It's all him. He has to choose." Yugi responded, he seemed to know what you were going to tell him. 

"I accept," Joey answered, 

"Go show her what you're made of!" Yugi gave him a smile,

"Joey are you sure?" You asked, "Judging of how everyone's concerned over you-"

"It's fine, (y/n)." Joey gave you a smile, "Yeah, I have had training but was never able to finish, but I am positive I can take her."

"You better be right for your sister's sake." Tea mumbled. 

"He'll be fine." You nudged Tea and Tristan and watched him go to the stadium. 

"(Y/n) is right." Yugi nodded and looked at Joey. "He'll be fine." 

"To make things 'fair', I'll give one Starchip. After all, you only have one yourself." Mai said with a wink. 

"Wait a minute where's the Meadow!" Joey shrieked, 

"Only 20% of this field is Meadow, so suck it up or surrender." Mai responded.

"Don't panic, you'll do fine!" Yugi assured, "Besides, your monsters will still get the boost with that 20%!" 

"Oh...yeah." Joey nodded, "...Before we duel. I gotta ask you one question." Joey looked at her,

"What?" Mai titled her head,

"Why did you come to the tournament? Why duel?" Joey asked,

"Why to conqueror expensive cravings while not needing to actually work!" Mai responded excitedly. 

"How selfish." Joey mumbled.

"How dare you judge me! Who do you think you are, you pathetic little snot!" 

"Hey, I don't think you know this but some people are fighting for the people we love," Joey answered. 

"That's right you show her we duel from the heart." Yugi mumbled. 

During the duel you noticed something off, it was just as her previous opponent said; she can tell which card is which without looking at them. Not even a glance or hint. And her technique as awfully familiar, it looked familiar.

"She's using the divide and conqueror method." You looked at Mai. Tea looked at you,

"Is she?"

"It's a method I am a bit too familiar with." You nodded.

 _"You've noticed."_ You heard Yugi speak. _...or was it?_

_=============================================_

**Ending;**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	8. Season 1; Episode 7

**~Opening; ~**

=============================================

He's back.

That Yugi you feel isn't Yugi but rather someone you have crossed paths with at some point. 

"She's right, Joey." 'Yugi' looked up at Joey, "She's doing a method that has been used for centuries, believe me, I know." 

"Hah! Please, Yugi's a duelist too you know.." Mai winked at him. You watched Joey's head fall with his fists clenched. 

_God...there has to be some way to boost his confidence.._.you had a hunch Mai is cheating some how but how are you going to do that? 

A thought suddenly came to mind, recently the Seal has admired Mai's presence, right?

_**"Ah, what a sweet aroma.."** _

You perked up, the Seal never compliments people like that. Maybe that's a hint for something? You closed your eyes and bit your lip. What brings the Seal to compliment someone?

Then it hit you. 

You smelled perfume coming from Mai.

You never recalled her smelling like that before. You shot a look at the cards and everything clicked. 

"Wow...Mai, you didn't tell me you had perfume~" You smirked at Mai who shot you a look. 

"What?"

"Man, if I had known you had perfume I would've asked for a sample! Gahhh, I'm so jealous of your cards." You bit your lip and crossed your arms. Mai turned pale,

"Wh-What are you talking ab-"

"You smell it too?" 'Yugi' gave you a smirk. 

"Wow, they smell really good." You nodded your head at Yugi and looked at Mai, "Do you go to formals with your cards? Is that it?" 

"Ah...you're right!" Joey blinked and quickly wiped his eyes, "...Wow...so much for a psyche now are ya?" He gave a smirk at Mai and gave a thumbs up at you and 'Yugi'. 

"Just because you saw my little psyche act doesn't mean you'll win, Joey!" Mai snapped,

"I am not so sure about that, Mai." Joey huffed, "Ya see, all you have is tricks, and I am going to beat them with this card." Joey took out the next card. 

You watched Joey's little strategy and you found it very smart for a first duel.

He won the duel. 

"Alright! Amazing job, Joey!" You rooted for your new friend. 

"He did it!" Tea jumped for joy. 

"Woohoo!" Tristan shouted out of pure joy. 

"Wow, you're quick in sense, (Y/n)!" Tea looked at you, "How did you know Mai was cheating?"

"Oh...well I noticed it kinda from the start, I just didn't say anything about it until it clicked.." You quickly made up a reason. 

"Smart." Tristan nodded his head approvingly, "How did I not notice? You must have a good nose-"

"Even I noticed it." 'Yugi' placed his hands in his pockets and stared at Joey who was glaring at Mai. 

"Wha- You too?!" Tristan was shocked, "Wow, so Tea, Joey, and I were the only ones not noticing?" Tristan rubbed the back of his head

"Well, Joey, they _are_ duelists..." Tea raised an eyebrow. 

"...True..." Tristan bit his lip, "Dang...duelists are smart." 

"I wouldn't call myself smart..." You laughed to yourself,

"No, even I admit it, you're smart, (y/n)." 'Yugi' turned his head to you with a smirk. "You have everything to be a duelist, you know?" 

You stared at this new Yugi, yup...something isn't right.

"....I'm not the Queen of Games you know," You mumbled,

"Really? That's a pity." Yugi bluntly said and looked up at Joey who was making his way down to get Mai's star chips. 

_Did he just..._

Tea turned red and Tristan smirked as you were in pure shock.

Did Yugi just flirt with you? 

"...Wh-" Your face turned completely red

"Did y'all just see that?!" Joey squealed to himself out of excitement and ran to you and the gang, "I beat Ma- Whoa what happened here?" He saw yours and Tea's face completely red and Tristan chuckling to himself. Yugi looked at Joey with a bright smile,

"You beat Mai!" Yugi said with excitement 

".... _You also flirted with (Y/n)!_ " Tea seethed at Yugi

"Wait _what?_ " Joey stared at Yugi in shock, "You flirted with (y/n)?!"

"I did?" Yugi blinked which caused you to perk up.

"YES." Tea nodded furiously,

"You indirectly told her you wanted her to be the Queen of Games...and since you're the King of Games..." Tristan made the connection using his fists - colliding them together with a smirk. Joey frowned at Yugi,

"Dude, we both agreed that I can get (Y/n)!" 

"Wh- _I told her she should be the Queen of Games?!_ " Yugi shrieked with his face red. 

"YES." Tea and Tristan nodded their heads.

"Oh- Oh Geez, I-I had no clue!" Yugi turned to you and bowed immediately, "I am so sorry! I had no intention of that!" 

"Uh...no it's okay." 

"You're actin' as if you forgot about that whole thing." Tristan raised an eyebrow. 

"I-I actually don't remember saying that-"

 _"WOOOOOOOW."_ Joey gasped, "Did you just tell (y/n) that you didn't tell her you told her to be Queen of Games? Cause to me it looks like you did - look at Tea, she literally looks like a tea kettle, steam is comin' off of her." Joey pointed to Tea. 

"No! I am serious! I don't even remember telling her that! I remember helping Joey out with Mai's duel but-"

"It's okay if you forgot," You shrugged your shoulders, "I don't mind." 

"Y-You sure? God...I feel bad now..." Yugi mumbled,

"Nah, if she said it's fine then it's fine. Let's goooo!" Joey dragged Tristan and Yugi. Tea placed her hand on your shoulder.

"....Hey, It's okay-"

"It wasn't like Yugi AT ALL to do that...he isn't like those stupid play-boys I assure you." Tea looked at you with worry. 

"No, it's fine." You shrugged, "It was probably a small misunderstanding.." 

"Yeah...yeah that's probably it." Tea nodded her head with a smile, 

"Come on girls!" Tristan called you and Tea over. 

"Geehee...look at my 2 new stars.." Joey showed off to Tristan and Tea. You were walking not far from the group with Yugi next to you. It was a little awkward until he finally looked at you with embarrassment,

"Again...a-about earlier-"

"I told you, it's fine." You looked at Yugi with a raised eyebrow. 

"N-No! I...I don't even remember saying that! Wow...my mind-blanks are getting bad, aren't they..." Yugi mumbled,

"Mind blanks?" You looked at him with interest,

"Yeah...recently I have been getting these mind-blanks. It's been happening since I put this Millennium Puzzle together." He picked up the golden pyramid and stared at it in awe, "This may sound crazy, whenever I get these mind blanks, I hear a voice guiding me through duels like these."

".....Oh really?" You perked up - so you weren't imagining things, there _is_ another Yugi. That means this other Yugi was the one who flirted with you like that. 

"Yeah...so I am sorry if I flirted with you like Tea and Tristan said I did..." Yugi bit his lip,

"Hey, if you didn't intend it, it's fine. I am not taking it personally." 

Technically you were....and still are? 

"W-Well okay...if you say so.."

"Hey, awkward future couple!" Joey cooed with a smirk, "How's it going over there?" He got whacked by Tea

"We were just clarifying that Yugi didn't mean to say that." You raised an eyebrow with a small giggle.

"Well, Yugi still said it," Tristan mumbled with a smirk, 

"Oh come on get over it!" Tea stomped her feet, "Yugi didn't mean to say it!" 

"But he still said it..." Tristan mumbled and got whacked by Tea as well. 

"...Aha..." Yugi chuckled nervously. 

"Competitor (Y/n) (l/n)?" An unknown voice came from behind Joey. Everyone turned and saw a security guard staring at you.

"Yes?" You blinked,

 _"....Mr. Pegasus would like to see you."_ He spoke. 

=================================================

**~Ending; ~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	9. Season 1; Episode 8

~ **Opening** ;  ~

==========================================

"Pardon?" You blinked at the guard who seemed impatient.

"Mr. Pegasus wants to see you. What are you, deaf?" The guard muttered. 

"Now hold on," Joey came in, "Why does she have to come with you, alone?" 

"More importantly, what does Pegasus want with her?" Yugi came in with furrowed eyebrows. 

"Yeah, what does he want with her?" Tea came with her arms crossed.

"He wants her." The guard answered,

"What do you mean by that? So much for an answer." Tristan rolled his eyes. The guard scoffed and took your arm,

"Let's go-"

" _don't touch her._ " A hand grabbed the guards arm that was holding yours. That voice was too familiar for you to know it's the other Yugi. You looked to see the new-yet-familiar face glare at the guard. The guard gritted his teeth,

"If you resist this, I'll have no other choice but to disqualify you." 

"Come on, what!?" Joey hissed, "We just wanna know what Pegasus wants to do with her! She's our friend and we won't let you take her unless you give us answers!" 

"Yeah! We ain't gonna give away a friend just like that!" Tea snapped her fingers with fumed eyes. The man growled and shook the other Yugi's arm off of him,

"As if I would know. Pegasus wants to see her and so he will." The guard hissed and turned to you, "You have no other choice but to come with me, Ms. (y/n)." 

"...My friends have a point though," You took a small step back, "I need to know why I am going with you - alone, remind you - to Pegasus' castle?" 

"Just come on, don't be so difficult." The guard growled. He took a large step toward you but stopped dead still when 'Yugi' swooped in the guard's way and blocked him from taking another step towards you.

"I'd recommend you rethink this, good sir." 'Yugi' sneered, "Tell us why Pegasus wants (y/n)." 

"You'll be disqualified." 

"For knowing why someone who is corrupted wants a friend of ours!?" Joey sneered, "Nah, I don't think so." 

This is bad.

Everyone is willing to be disqualified for my sake? 

They do have a point, you have to admit it. At least have the guard tell you a reason why Pegasus wants you rather than not saying anything and forcing me to go. 

_**"....Go."**_

A shiver went down your spine when that one word was spoken in your mind. You gulped and looked at the ground as all audio around you went blank.

Why should I go? What is going to be accomplished? Will it be benefited through this? 

....

"You guys.." You clenched your fists, "Stop...I'll go," 

Everyone turned to you in shock,

"What?!" Tristan gasped,

"If Pegasus wants me...then...do I really have a choice?" 

"Aw come on, (y/n)! You have a choice!" Joey clenched his fists

_I don't have a choice, Joey. I am being controlled._

"You will be disqualified if I don't go." You responded to Joey,

"Who cares!" Tea gasped a little, "We care about you too! Who knows what could happen to you!" 

_Trust me, Tea, I've been through and still am going through hell...._

"...I can handle it." You bit your lip as the guard sighed in relief,

"Finally, reason." 

"....You don't have to go." 'Yugi' turned to you,

 _ **"....She does."**_

'Yugi' stares at you with his body completely turned to you.

"I think it's best if I do go...I don't want to be the cause of any disqualifications. Besides, I can take on Pegasus! Just watch!" You tried your best to have a smile and gave a thumbs up. Tristan bit his lip,

"....You sure?"

"Besides, I can't deny being sent to the creator of this tournament. Who knows what can happen." You shrugged your shoulders and looked at the new Yugi, who didn't look like he believed you. 

"Trust me, okay?" You bit your lip and watched the new Yugi stare at you. It was a rather intense moment for you and this new man. 

"Alright, you heard the lady, now step aside!" The guard pushed the new Yugi away from his path to get to you. You watched Yugi fall to the floor as Tea ran to his side.

"Yugi!" 

"This....this isn't fair!" You saw - now normal - Yugi cry out, "You're mistreating everyone here!" 

"I have to in order to get the job done, now come on Ms. (Y/n)." The guard took your arm and dragged you away.

"I-I'll get you out of there, (y/n)!" Yugi screamed, "I promise! You'll be safe!" 

You bit your lip and waved at your new friends before the forest blocked you from them.

\----

"Am I in trouble?" You asked,

"No." The guard responded,

"Did I do something wrong?" You asked,

"No," The guard responded,

"Did I break any rules?"

"No." 

"So why am I being taken there?" 

"Pegasus wants to see you." He answered. Your eye twitched, _wow...such an answer._

"You're so good at answering questions." You said sarcastically. The guard rolled his eyes in response. It wasn't long until you reached Pegasus' castle. You stared at it as the guard pulled you inside. 

The interior was outstanding, as if this place was here since the 1980's. It must be paradise for Pegasus to live here. 

Ah, if only you felt comfortable though. 

"I am a little scared to continue, ya know?" You looked at the guard,

"Why?"

"'Cause I have no fucking clue why I am here." You responded with a cold tone.

"Don't worry, Ms. (Y/n)," the guard gave you a smile as he pushed you in the dining room, "Pegasus won't hurt you." And with that, the door closed. 

You looked at the door with your brain mentally cursing this guard for his treatment to you.

"Ah, Contestant (y/n) (l/n)!" You heard a happy, clear voice ring from the end of the room. You turned your head to see the long, silver haired man with the red tuxedo. You stared in shock as the man stood,

"How are you today? Doing fine?" Pegasus asked as he approached you,

"Uh....well...I wasn't too comfortable on the way here." You mumbled,

"Why is that?" Pegasus looked concerned,

"No one told me why I had to come here." You answered, "I mean, you're the creator of this whole thing!" 

"Mhm, and?" He blinked,

"I mean, you shouldn't have the time with only one contestant!" You blinked in return.

"Ah...you see...(y/n), you're no ordinary contestant." Pegasus smiled, 

"What?" You raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" 

"Don't act dumb on me, sweetie. We both know what I am talking about." Pegasus chuckled lightly. 

"...I don't." You took a small step back.

"You see, in actual reality, we both have something in common." Pegasus smiled at you,

"...Uh....what do we have?" 

"We both have something that is a blessing and a curse..." Pegasus placed his hands on your shoulder, 

"....We d-" You stopped immediately. You knew where this is going.

"....I have the Millennial Eye..." He pulled his hair back to show you an Egyptian Eye-ball in place of an ordinary eye. You stared at it in shock and watched Pegasus immediately pull your eye patch off of you.

 _"....And you have the Seal of Orichalcos."_ He said while caressing your cheek with a wide smirk. 

Yeah...you didn't like where this is going. 

====================================

**~Ending; ~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	10. Season 1; Episode 9

**~Opening; ~**

======================================

"....I have never seen the Seal this close before in my entire life.." Pegasus stared in awe and excitement at your eye. You took a step back and tried to cover your eye but Pegasus grabbed your arm.

"Why cover it?" He asked, "It's beautiful on you." 

You were dumbfounded on what he had just said to you. 

"....Coming from the man who is covering his strange eye with his hair." You crossed your arms with an eyebrow raised. Pegasus laughed in response to your claim, 

"Hah, you have a point." He stroked his hair with his free hand, "My hair loves to cover things, you know?" 

"And so does my eye-patch that you threw on the floor." You looked at your eye patch and listened to Pegasus's laugh. 

"you're really are something, are you (y/n)?" Pegasus asked with a wry smile. 

"And so are you, how do you know about the Seal?" You asked. 

"How I know doesn't concern you." 

"It kiiinda does, I am it's vessel after all." You reminded him,

"It's my personal life, isn't it? Shouldn't some things be meant to be kept as a secret?" 

"That makes you more annoying." You answered,

"No, it keeps the suspense." Pegasus laughed, 

"So? What do you want? You can let go of me now." You looked at your arm being held by Pegasus. He let go of your arm with a closed-eye smile.

"Sorry about that! Did I hurt your arm?" He asked,

"No..no you didn't. _I wish you did so I can take you to court._." You muttered the last part. 

"...But I am interested, (y/n), why do you hide your eye?" 

"Like I said. This is coming from the-"

"At least Yugi-boy and his gang knows I have the Millennium Eye." Pegasus brushed his hair aside to show you in more depth of the eye, "You on the other hand....they don't even know about it. Have they even asked?" 

"...I said it was an accident. I wasn't lying there..." 

"Oh really?" Pegasus raised an eyebrow, "How did you get the Seal then?"

You stiffened in response.

"The last vessel of the Seal was someone who lived thousands of years ago, so how do you have it now? What did you do?" Pegasus asked, "...or is that some sort of fake contact?" His normal eye narrowed at the possibility of all of this being a joke - which it isn't. 

"How would this be a contact?" You pointed at your eye, "As if everyone in the world knows about it, Pegasus. Do you want more proof that this is the real deal?" 

"Well, I would like to, but you haven't answered my question." Pegasus crossed his arms, "How did you get it." 

"...I got it when I was a kid.." Your eyes narrowed, "That's all I know." 

"....So there is a cult who is still giving vessels?" Pegasus raised an eyebrow, 

"What? Where'd you get that assumption?!" You gasped,

"Well, you tell me." Pegasus sighed, 

"I....I got it when I was a kid...I don't remember there being any cults." You crossed your arms and raised your eyebrow. 

"Wow, so specific I love it." Pegasus mumbled with sarcasm then clapped his hands, "Then how about the 'evidence' you're so confident in? Show me." Pegasus rubbed his hands together, "Show me that this isn't some sort of prank that I fell into." 

You hesitated and covered your shirt in response; you didn't expect Pegasus to remember you said that. You gulped and watched him stare at you with the expectation of something happening. You turned around and lifted your shirt to show him the carved mark of the Seal on your back. 

"T-T-There." You tried to cover your back but you felt Pegasus' hands grab yours to prevent the carvings to be hidden once more. 

"....amazing..." One of Pegasus' hands let go of your hands and caressed the mark on your back which left shivers down your spine, "....it's carved...completely carved...." He whispered in awe. "...and no bloody marks on it...it's all the Seal...amazing.." 

"C-Can you let go of me?" You asked and felt his hands let go of you. Your shirt slithered over the Seal and covered it completely once more. 

"You really are it's vessel...amazing." Pegasus turned you around to face him, "I am really looking at the vessel of the Seal! I feel so honored." 

"Uh....thanks." You blinked and felt a little uncomfortable with the way he's acting to you. 

"You need absolute hospitality - what do you want? I will give you everything you desire." Pegasus took your shoulders and stared into your eyes. 

What's up with this guy? 

"U...Uh..."

"Do you want anything Ms. (l/n)? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want something sweet? Oh! I bet you want to watch the tournament going on right now." 

"W-Water?" You blinked, 

"Water! Oh yes, guards!" He looked at the door and saw one security guard come in, 

"Yes, Mr. Pegasus?" He asked,

"Get this girl a cup of water!" 

The guard raised an eyebrow and looked at you. You shrugged your shoulders and gave the gesture that not even you knows what happened to this man. The guard sighed and walked down the hall. 

"...Are...you okay?" You looked at Pegasus and watched him pull a chair for you,

"I am doing fantastic now that I know you're here!" Pegasus responded. You cautiously walked to the chair and sat down. He pushed your chair in and sat on the top chair (more of the chair that faces the entire table). 

"Do you want to watch the tournament? I hear Yugi-boy is fighting Kaiba again." 

"Kaiba? You mean Seto Kaiba?" You blinked,

"You know him?" Pegasus looked at you.

"Yeah, Kaiba Corps and my Grandfather are trade partners." 

"Your grandfather has a card company?" 

"The best one where I come from." You nodded your head, "Thanks to his company, he and Seto Kaiba know each other very well." You sighed as the guard came back with a cup of water. He gave it to you and you thanked him. 

"Well, did you know Mokuba is here too?" 

"Mokuba? Seto Kaiba's little brother? He's here?" You blinked in surprise,

"Do you want to see him?" Pegasus asked 

"O-Oh....sure." You nodded and put the cup aside after a couple of sips. You got up and let Pegasus escort you to where Mokuba should be. A couple of minutes pass and you realize where you are.

The dungeon. 

"...Why are we here?" You asked as Pegasus turned around and had a blank card directly at your face.

 _"....You're mine."_ Pegasus mumbled with a wide smile. 

=================================

 **~Ending;** ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners
> 
> I apologize for the shortness of this chapter! But don't worry, upcoming chapters will be long!


	11. Season 1; Episode 10

**Opening;**

=======================================

Pegasus had a wide smirk on his face as he pressed the blank card against you. You stared in shock as a flash of white appeared in your eyes, then a flash of green. You felt force push forward towards Pegasus, and you soon heard him gasp in shock. When the green light vanished, you saw Pegasus on the floor with his hand over his eye. 

"...Unbelievable.." Pegasus mumbled, 

"...What...What did you do just now?" You asked with shock,

"...You shouldn't be the one asking me that." Pegasus slowly stood, "...I'm lucky my Millenium Eye protected me from it before.." He mumbled and looked at you

"Pardon?" You raised an eyebrow,

"It's nothing of the sort." Pegasus brushed it aside and took your arm, "You are to come with me, no longer here." 

"Then why did you take me here in the first place?" You asked,

"I lost track on where we should be headed; this castle is rather huge, so I tend to lose my way here." 

"...Then why did you shove a blank card at my face?" You asked as Pegasus took your arm and lead you out of the dungeon, 

"merely an accident."

"I can't simply brush aside the fact that you tried to do something that doesn't have a nice result for me, Pegasus." You raised an eyebrow as Pegasus stopped walking. He slowly turned to you with a small glare,

"...Ms. (y/n), might I ask you to forget what had just happened, and continue the day? Besides, I didn't give you a proper tour, so that is what we are going to do now." 

"...No." You removed your arm off of Pegasus' hand and looked at him straight in the eye, 

"What?" Pegasus turned around,

"I don't know what you did, but I have the gutsy feeling that you had the intention on harming me. I am not going anywhere with you." You shook your head and crossed your arms. Pegasus chuckled and looked at you with his hand on his hip, 

"Ms. (l/n), I am providing you hospitality, and this is what I get in return?" Pegasus asked as he brushed his hair off his face - his Millennium Eye shining under the lantern above.

"What hospitality?" You raised an eyebrow, "You've done nothing but give me water and took me down here only to be confused." 

"I apologize for you not getting enough hospitality, may we move on? Or do I have to ask Nymphi?" 

You froze,

"Nymphi-?" 

"I have your family in line, within seconds I can easily call some of my men over to your lovely sibling and take her over here." Pegasus said with a smirk slowly forming, "I can easily do that, should I find things getting harsh." He reached his hand out to you, "Now, Ms. (L/n), might I ask you take my hand?" 

You stared at his hand and looked at him, you didn't like this, not at all. What's more concerning is how Pegasus brought up Nymphi and basically threatened you to move on from that and follow him around - like a mindless monkey. You bit your lip, this entire thing feels rushed, that's how you felt in this situation. But, you fear what would happen if Nymphi was taken by this man - who did something that would've been bad for you earlier. You had no choice, you said nothing as you took his hand. 

"There we go, that was easy, wasn't it? It's easy to forgive, right?" Pegasus said with an innocent smile. He escorted you upstairs with a tight grip on your hand,

"Now, let's head over to my room. I have wine I would like to share with you during sunset. You would come, right? You are 23 years old, so you can drink." Pegasus gave you a warm smile and walked you to his room. 

"Mr. Pegasus?" A guard met up with him in the front, 

"Mhm?" 

"Kaiba is ready to duel you."

Kaiba? 

You looked at Pegasus who looked at you, then at the guard,

"Take her to her room." Pegasus instructed and turned to you, "I will pick you up later for some wine, hopefully before sunset. Until then~" He waved you farewell to the hands of the guard. 

Pegasus is a rather strange man, you didn't like him at all. 

That blank card was too weird, why would he aim it at you? Why was there white and green light- 

Wait, green light, 

The Seal. 

The Seal must've done something during that moment, maybe that's why Pegasus is demanding you to move on. Is he scared? Maybe, maybe not, in the end, will the Seal ever tell you?

Probably not.

"And we're here." The guard opened the door to a rather elegant room. There were green drapes over a nice, yellow bed. The painting was light pink, it was rather colorful and elegant in some way. Some of the furniture was gold and looked rather Egyptian, which you found outstanding. You sat down on the chair that faced the egyptian-looking counter,

"It's pretty." You complimented Pegasus' taste in rooms. 

"We also have your luggage, which my maids have cleared and organized here in the room for you. So you don't have to waste time unpacking." 

"you don't have to-"

"Consider that as a way of an apology." The guard interrupted you and closed the door,

You watched the door close in silence. You stood up and looked at the counter once more. You noticed the border-line around the mirror had some green-ribbons in pattern you found hypnotizing. Your hand caressed the ribbons and gave a small sigh,

you came here to duel, not to be dragged around like a rag doll and being told what to do. 

In a way, this reminded you of how Papa used to treat you back when you were little. 

You walked to the golden drawer and opened it to find your personal items in; pajamas, tank tops, bras, underwear, and eye-patches. You sat down on the comfortable bed and stared at the eye-patches. Your hand went over to your eye that no longer has the eye-patch and gave a soft sigh. 

Sometimes, you wished you didn't have this stupid Seal on you. You changed into your pajamas and looked out the window. It was rather a beautiful view, it was the forest-area with the sea just up ahead. The sun that was slowly coming down made the scene look rather fantastic. To add on, it was quiet. You preferred somewhere as quiet as this. It gives you time to reflect on things, like earlier with Pegasus. The Seal probably did something with him, and now Pegasus is acting all 'move on and pretend like it's nothing' thing. 

You gently pushed yourself away from the window and plopped yourself on the bed. You could leave your room and make an adventure of your own, but you aren't really in the mood for that. Besides, Pegasus could really snatch Nymphi, and that's the last thing you want. You picked up a book that was on the desk near the bed and opened it up to read. 

An hour or 2 passed, and you heard a knock on the door. You closed the book and looked at the door to see Pegasus with a smile,

"(y/n), would you like to accompany me with a cup of wine?" Pegasus asked,

"Do I have a choice?" You asked and got off of the bed. 

"Smart girl," Pegasus winked at you, "Let us leave." 

"Right," You narrowed your eyes and took his hand. He walked you down to the hall and to the left for his room. His room was the same as yours, rather bigger and looked more fancier than yours. He walked you to the balcony and sat you down on the table outside. He gives you a glass of wine and takes out his bottle. He fills it half-way and sits down himself to fill his own. You take a deep breath and looked at the sunset, 

"It's beautiful..." You smiled,

"Indeed it is," He nodded in agreement with a smile, 

"Did you win?" You looked at Pegasus and watched him nod,

"Of course, I did." 

"So, you use your eye to win?" 

"Smarter than I thought," He chuckled as he took a sip, 

"Isn't that cheating?" You raised an eyebrow, 

"You underestimate me, Ms. (l/n)," Pegasus sighed with a small smirk, "I have an intention to win." 

"Aha, so Kaiba is a good duelist." You looked at the sunset,

"And what do you mean by that?" 

"You had to cheat your way in order to beat Kaiba. That means if you didn't use your eye, you would've lost." You smirked at him and held your drink. After taking a sip, you put the cup down and watched him huff.

"Kaiba is a rather good duelist, he dueled me in order to get his brother back." 

"So you do have Mokuba here, where is he?" You asked,

"You would run if I tell you where," He smirked at you,

"Try me." You crossed your legs and arms. He chuckled, 

"Wait here," He got up and went inside his room. You watched him with an eyebrow raised, is Mokuba in his room? Pegasus came out with a card in his hand,

"...What's that?" 

"This, my dear ma'am, is Mokuba." he flipped the card to reveal Mokuba's image in the card. You stared at the card in shock,

"I trapped his soul in here, something I was going to do to you, however, something stopped the process." Pegasus pointed at his eye that holds the Millennium Item. 

"I assume the Seal stopped you?" 

"It was going to take my soul," Pegasus shivered as he sat down, "I felt my very own consciousness slip away as I was trying to take yours. I had to pull back, otherwise my soul would've been the Orichalcos' dinner." He sighed and took another sip of his wine. 

"So? What are the duels for tomorrow?" You asked

"Yugi will duel Mai, as Joey will due Keith." Pegasus answered, "The winners of the duels will verse each other before me." 

"I can see you're excited." You rolled your eyes,

"Yes, I am, actually. I can't wait to duel Yugi~" 

"What if he loses?" you asked,

"Oh please, with the Millennium Puzzle around his neck, he'll never lose until he duels me." Pegasus smirked, "It's gonna be a fine day for me tomorrow," 

You watched the sunset in silence. 

~ ~ 

After Pegasus escorts you to your room, he tapped your shoulder,

"You can be as comfortable as you please, Ms. (L/n)." Pegasus gave you a smile, "You can take off the eye-patch."

"I am comfortable," You smiled back, "The eye-patch stays on." 

"As you wish," Pegasus smiled and closed the door. You walked to the bed and exhaled, 

Sometimes you wished everything could just go away... 

....

_"(y/n)..."_

_Your eye awoke to someone calling your name. The area around you was navy blue mixed with lavender. You walked around,_

_"Hello? Is someone there?" You called out,_

_"(y/n)..." The voice sounded soothing and calming to you. You felt the obligation to follow it,_

_"Who are you?"_

_"(Y/n), liste n to me !"_

_"What?" You blinked,_

_"(Y/n)!" You saw a black figure stand around a few feet away from you. You blinked,_

_"Hello?" You watched the figure reach out it's hand to you,_

_"Come...you're not safe here...come with me.." The voice calmly spoke. You looked at the hand, then back at the figure,_

_"Why? Who are you?" You asked,_

_"I am-" The figure was interrupted when a familiar green light shined right infront of you. You stared at the green light, as a roar was heard from it,_

_**"You can't escape me."** it murmured. You stared in shock, as the Seal laughed and attacked you completely. _

**_"NOO!"_** You screamed with the top of your lungs. You stared at the room to realize it was all a dream. 

A rather scary dream, not scary enough to consider it as a nightmare. It was a short dream, but it was enough to tell you one thing.

You're not safe here. 

You put on the eye-patch and changed into another pair of clothing you found in the closet. You fixed your hair and opened the door to find Pegasus right in front of you. You gasped and took a step back,

"Pegasus-"

"I heard you scream, are you okay?" Pegasus asked, "Yeah...I had a nightmare," You answered, "It's all good." 

"...As long as you say it's fine, then it is." Pegasus sighed, "Are you hungry? I have breakfast waiting for you in the dining hall." 

"Oh, th-thanks?" 

"And I have coffee waiting for you." 

"Lead the way." You blinked with a small smile. Pegasus chuckled and lead you to the dining room for breakfast. The chefs made a delicious omelette with a bowl of fruits and a cup of milk. You looked at the chef and thanked him dearly for the meal,

"Now, to watch the due-" 

"Actually, I was hoping you would take a look around the place, have your own adventure." Pegasus recommended, "You can create your own sense of fun, better than watching some duel." 

"But...but Yugi-" 

"Who cares? Imagine all the fun, besides, I heard the garden is rather lovely. Don't you want Nymphi to have a rose? Something that she would love?" 

"....of course you would have Nymphi into this.." You mumbled and stood up, "Where is the garden?" 

"Someone will escort you there, until then~" Pegasus waved as one of the guards began to escort you to the garden. 

Pegasus wasn't wrong, the garden is beautiful. You walked around the bushes and stared at the beautiful flowers. 

There was a pale stone trail, with bushes of roses on each side of the road. It was as if you were in a castle. 

Oh wait, you were. You sighed and walked into a nice simple pale white table, with basic white chairs. On the table was a light blue cover that hovered the glass table, and ontop of the cover was a Chinese Tea set. The whole table and chairs was lightly covered by a white fence with a trail of green grass and lillies. The sunlight shined through the fence over the table and made it look absolutely stunning. You walked to the table and stared at it in awe, never have you found anything so beautiful. You walked away from the tea table to look around more. Your eyes immediately latched onto a certain flower and smiled big,

"Crinums!" You gasped and ran to those. Those flowers were absolute favorites of Nymphi's. Your fingers began to twiddle, is it okay to take one? Two? Maybe you can ask Pegasus once he's done with the tournament. Nymphi would love this, you were sure of it. 

"(y/n)!" A voice called out to you. You blinked and looked at the direction of the voice. 

"(y/n)! Where are you?" The voice called out. You slowly sat up and raised an eyebrow,

"Who are you?" You called out, "I won't tell you where I am if you don't-" 

"You already told me where you are by speaking." The voice came from behind the table. You turned rapidly to see the one person who you haven't seen in a while.

Yugi. 

However, this isn't the Yugi you met back in the ship, this is the other Yugi you've been sensing. 

"...Shouldn't you be dueling with Mai?" You asked, 

"The duel ended, there is a small intermission before I fight Pegasus.." 

"What about Joey?" 

"He won against Keith, who cheated." He answered,

"Shouldn't you be with your friends before the final duel?" You asked

"I had to see you first, to make sure you're okay." 

"You're concerned for me?" You blinked,

"Why shouldn't I?" He tilted his head, 

"We only just met, Yugi." You raised an eyebrow, "I am not even close to you guys yet, you should head back and support your actual friends." 

"Did we _really_ just met?" Yugi asked and crossed his arms, 

"Well, we met at the boat on the way here, so technically we didn't just meet." You crossed your arms, 

"Basic and straight-forward." He chuckled, 

"Don't like it?" You raised an eyebrow,

"It's apart of you, just like the-" He was interrupted when a few shouts were heard,

"Yugi!" That sounds like Tea, "It's time!" 

"It is?" Yugi turned around and looked at the direction of Tea's voice. Even though he turned around, you felt he was staring at you. 

"Yeah! Everyone is looking for you!" Tea was finally seen. She stopped and stared, "....and you're with (y/n)." 

"Tea!" You clasped your hands together with a smile, "You guys made it here!" 

"Yeah...we did." Her eyebrows furrowed, "What happened here?" 

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, now the Yugi you met at the boat.

"You know what I mean," Tea stomped her foot, "What- ugh, Yugi, come on! You have to verse Pegasus!" 

"Tea?" You blinked, "is something wrong?" 

"Nothing is wrong, let's go." Tea took Yugi's hand,

"Wait! (Y/n), do you want to come with us? I am sure you want to see the duel." 

"Oh, uh...sure!" Completely denying what Pegasus asked, you walked with Yugi and Tea back inside the castle and over to the tournament arena. 

"Heyyy! It's my home-girl, (y/n)!" You heard Joey chuckle as an arm was wrapped around your back. You turned to see the blonde teenager with a big smile on his face. 

"Joey..." You blinked and heard knuckles crack from behind. 

"Joey Wheeler." Tea mumbled as Joey immediately had his hands off of you. 

"Ehe...sorry..." 

"(y/n)?" You saw a white-haired boy stare with wide eyes,

"M-My name is Bakura." He introduced himself,

"Oh yeah, this is Bakura, he is a good friend of ours" Tristan slammed his hand against Bakura's back. You blinked and watched Bakura wince a little,

"That kinda hurt, Tristan." Bakura mumbled. 

"He came with us not long after Pegasus took you to the castle." Tristan explained and gave you a small smile. You returned that smile and looked at Bakura to notice something off with him. Honestly, first you felt that with Yugi, then Pegasus, and now this boy who looks innocent enough to not even harm a fly. What's up with these boys?! You exhaled softly as Pegasus walked in the tournament room and gasped when he saw you,

"Ms. (y/n)! What are you doing here?"

"Watching the finale." You blinked at Pegasus,

"Why, the garden didn't satisfy you enough?" He asked as guards escorted Yugi over to the other side of the duel. 

"No, it did, long enough for me to miss the semi-finals." You shrugged, "I will come back after the finals, okay?" You tilted your head and watched Pegasus shrug,

"So be it." He mumbled and started the duel. 

Pegasus was really good at the game, you admitted that. However, the thought of Pegasus using the Millenium Eye as a cheat-cheat made you think otherwise. Because of that, Yugi kept losing points. You remembered why Yugi came to the tournament, to get his Grandpa back. 

Maybe Pegasus took Yugi's Grandpa's soul too, you wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. 

However, you were so concentrated on the duel, you didn't notice a pair of evil eyes staring at your figure, with a smirk, and a plan forming in his brain. 

"(y/n), let's go to the upper gallery so we can see the duel better." Tea gently touched your shoulder. You nodded and went with Joey and Tea to soon notice Tristan and Bakura aren't following.

"What about them?" 

"They have something else to do, something important." Joey vaguely answered. You raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. You didn't want to poke in other's business, besides, you get to watch the finals. 

And it was so worth it, because Yugi miraculously _won_. 

You, Tea, Joey, and Tristan (who came back) cheered. Tea, Joey, and Tristan ran down to congratulate Yugi personally, as you sat back and took a huge sigh. 

What are you going to do now, the tournament is over and all you did was sit there and allow yourself to be transported around like a doll. Wow. Good job, (y/n). 

Hopefully, you'll be able to have an actual duel soon, you weren't sure when, but hopefully soon. 

"Hey! Up there!" You heard a voice close by call out. You turned your head to see Bakura waving with a smile,

"Hello!"

"Bakura!" Yugi called out with a smile,

"Hey, there! Feeling back to normal?" Tristan asked,

"What? Back to normal? Have I not been normal before, Tristan?" Bakura asked, 

"Yeah, that weird ring you wear around your neck was makin' you act like a real freak again!" 

weird ring around your ne- 

You froze and stared at Bakura in shock. 

"Oh, his Millenium Ring? Where is it now?" Yugi asked Tristan,

"I chucked it far away." Tristan replied,

"Oh well...if it was making me all weird, then it was a good reason you tossed it away."

No....No that isn't possible. You stared at Bakura, both Pegasus and Yugi are cherishing their items like a baby. How is it that Bakura is allowing Tristan to throw away the ring out to the wild? Plus, if Tristan removed that ring,

Why do you still feel that unknown malice presence inside of him?

"Great! Can you stay and keep watch on Mokuba while we're gone?" Tea asked

Mokuba- 

Mokuba Kaiba. He's here? You were so focused on the duel you barely noticed things around you. 

"Sure." 

With that, the group left. 

You stared at Bakura with caution and slowly made your way over to Mokuba - who seemed unconscious. 

"Ms. (y/n)? You're walking slow.." Bakura blinked,

"...How about you go outside and take a breather. It looks like you went through a lot." You compromised, 

"I am fine, why do you ask?" 

"I can keep watch of Mokuba. I'm sure you want to see where the group is going. They are probably going to Pegasus, and I think you'll want to see him too." You raised an eyebrow

"...If you say so, are you sure?" Bakura blinked,

"Positive. Go." You shooed the boy away and watched him leave. You took a sigh of relief and sat down beside Mokuba. You placed him gently on your lap and exhaled. 

You hated sitting around and doing nothing, but what else are you supposed to do? 

It wasn't long before Bakura came back. Let's say around, what, 5 minutes? 

"You're back quickly." You blinked, 

"I couldn't find anyone and I didn't want to get lost." Bakura chuckled nervously and sat down next to you. 

"Ah, this place is rather big, too big for my liking." You laughed. 

"Right?" Bakura agreed with you and nodded. 

"...you know, you look kinda creepy with that eye-patch on" Bakura randomly pointed out. You blinked and looked at him,

"Why do you have it on?" Bakura asked,

"...I had an accident when I was a kid." You partially lied, "....and well,"

"Oh...sorry...it's just when I first saw you, the first thing that kept me off guard was the eye-patch. I've been meaning to ask of it, but I never got the chance."

"Well, now you do." You laughed nervously and heard Mokuba groan. You looked down and watched him slowly wake up.

"Morning sleeping beauty." You blinked and watched Mokuba's violet eyes look up at you, then widen. 

"...(y-y/n)-"

"is Mokuba okay?" You heard Tea scream. You glanced to see Joey, Tristan and Tea running,

"Yeah, he's fine." Bakura nodded. 

"(y/n)!" Mokuba rolled off of your lap and gave you a hug, "You're here! I only read on the lists that you are here, but I couldn't find you!" 

"I was uh....being dragged around." You patted Mokuba's back in return. 

"...Mokuba, you know (y/n)?" Tristan asked,

"Yup," Mokuba looked at Tristan wearily and smiled, "Seto and (y/n)'s grandfather are close pals thanks to their partnership." 

"Is that so?" Tristan looked at you,

"Yeah." Mokuba nodded, 

"Is Mokuba okay?" Yugi cried out as he ran over to Mokuba.

"Yup, Pegasus kept his word, he's good."

"I'm not leaving without Seto." Mokuba shook his head rapidly and looked at you,

"I am sure Seto is fine, I bet he's looking for you." You booped Mokuba's nose. 

"Yugi Motou, Joey Wheeler, your prizes." A security guard came in with a box. 

"(y/n), are you going to come with Seto and I back?" Mokuba asked, "It's been a while since you came over." 

"Well, if it's fine with Seto Kaiba then-" 

"I am sure he'll allow it!" Mokuba's eyes were shining as he got up. "I mean, why would he say no?" 

"He could, you never know." 

"Well, I doubt it. Come on!" Mokuba took your hand and ran out. The others followed. 

\------

"Seto! Seto, where are you? It's me, Mokuba!" Mokuba cried out as he went down the stairs outside the castle. 

"Where is he?" Yugi asked and scratched the back of his head. 

"He could be any-" You were interrupted when the castle gates opened. Your eyes latched onto the tall boy with the long-ass purple cape. 

Yep, that's Seto Kaiba for you, except he's smiling. 

You shuddered silently despite everyone all happy in stuff. Kaiba never really smiles, you've never seen him smile before. 

You considered when after your grandfather officially partnered with Kaiba, but he _smirked_ rather than _smiled_. 

And those 2 are completely different things. 

"I never stopped thinking about you, Seto." Mokuba said with a big teary-eyed smile,

"Neither did I, Mokuba." Kaiba patted his shoulders and stood up to look at Yugi,

"Thank you for helping my brother out. I deeply appreciate it." He thanked Yugi,

"Of course," Yugi nodded in agreement. Kaiba's eyes latched onto you

"(y/n)." 

"Seto." You raised an eyebrow,

"I heard from your grandfather you were here, how was the tournament?"

"never actually dueled, was tossed around like a doll." You shrugged your shoulders. Joey gave a small laugh but was smacked by Tea,

"Well, unfortunately, you're going to be dragged one more time." Kaiba shook his head,

"What do you mean?" You tilted your head and Mokuba gave a big smile,

"Will she be accompanying with us?" Mokuba asked and watched his brother nod. "YES!" He cheered and ran to you for a big hug. 

"Really? You mean it?" You looked at Kaiba in shock,

"As a loyal partner to your grandfather, I find no problem for you staying with us. Plus, it's rare for you being here in Japan." 

"The last she was here was when her grandpa came by a couple of months back!" Mokuba nodded his head and looked at you with a bright smile, "You're going to love it here because you aren't here for only business!" He took your arm and lead you over to Seto. 

"Yugi, we aren't finished with the duel. Some-day, the real duel will begin, and one of us will walk away with the true name of the King of Games." Kaiba looked at Yugi who nodded his head. 

"Come on, Mokuba, (y/n), let's go." 

"Yes! We're going home!" Mokuba said with absolute delight. Before you were able to walk out with Kaiba and Mokuba, you felt someone grab your arm. You turn to see Yugi looking at you,

"...If you want, you can return with us." Yugi whispered, "You can stay with us, there's no problem." 

You blinked, "...Yugi, as much as I wouldn't mind, I already promised Mokuba in a way. Besides, I am still going to be here, we can chat whenever." You removed Yugi's hand from your arm and took another step forward,

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked,

"Positive." You nodded and caught up with Mokuba. "I'm sure we'll meet again!" You waved at Yugi and the gang and took off in Kaiba's helicopter. 

....

"Sorry, Yami." Yugi looked at his other spirit, "I couldn't force her to stay with us." 

"No, it's fine, Yugi." Yami sighed and crossed his arms, 

"Why do you want her so much? After all, we only just met." Yugi tilted his head,

"....I don't know, but I have to see her." Yami clenched his fists, "Something tells me this girl is special." 

================================

_** Season 1 Finale ** _

_**~Ending; ~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment   
> Pictures belong to their rightful owners


	12. Season 2; Episode 1

**~Opening;** ~ 

===========================================

It has been around a week or so since the tournament with Pegasus ended. You took a huge sigh and looked at the view from KaibaCorp. It was a rather nice city you had to admit it, a beautiful view compared to your view in your room at your place.

As you were admiring the view, you heard a knock at the door. Your head turned to see Mokuba peeking in with a small smile, 

"Hey, whatcha doing?" Mokuba asked and watched you smile softly.

"The usual, sitting here and doing nothing - basically what I did in the tournament." You replied and watched Mokuba's face scrunch. 

"Wow, sounds fun." He mumbled sarcastically. 

"Indeed, the best of them all." You nodded your head and patted the seat next to you so Mokuba could sit. He slowly walked over and sat next to you, 

"So, you liking Kaiba Corp so far?" Mokuba asked,

"'so far'?" You turned your head at Mokuba, "You're acting as if it's my first time in this place." 

"I know, I know, you've been here before." Mokuba sighed, "But it's been a while since you last came here, so I have to ask!" 

"Yeah yeah," You sighed and looked at the view, "...So, you know Yugi?" 

"Yeah, he beat my brother." Mokuba nodded his head, "He is a good guy, he really cares about his friends." 

"And you're one of them, right?" You looked at him to see him bit his lip.

"....Right?" You raised an eyebrow and moved a little closer to him.

"...Uhm.." He fidgeted and his eyes averted away from yours.

"....... _.Riiight?_ " You asked with a low voice and lowered your face towards Mokuba's cheek. Mokuba whimpered a little, shrugged, then took a long sigh,

"It's complicated." 

"Why?" You asked and finally moved away from Mokuba to give back his personal space. 

"I mean, I _want_ to be friends with Yugi, it's just....it's just..-"

"Seto?" You asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"...Yeah." Mokuba sighed, "Imagine how he would react if I told him I want to be friends with the new King of Games." 

"....how would he react?" You blinked, 

"He'd flip and use me to get his attention." Mokuba sighed, 

"Really? I thought he just wouldn't really care." You sighed

"Seto? Not caring about me?" Mokuba gasped,

"No, I know he cares for you like no tomorrow, I figured he wouldn't care of who you're friends with." 

"Hah, he cares." Mokuba smiled softly, then turned to you with a grin, "...Why do you ask about Yugi? You curious about him?" 

You stared at him, ".....No." 

"Then why ask about him?" Mokuba asked with a grin slowly forming on his lips, 

"Figured, y'know? King of Games, and you've been with him during the tourna-"

"Most of the tournament." Mokuba corrected. 

"...Most of the tournament," You nodded, "So I'd figured you have some sort of opinion on him." 

"Well, I'm sure Yugi has an opinion of you~" Mokuba smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean." You turned your head directly at him. 

"Nothing." Mokuba closed his eyes and gave off an innocent vibe, 

"No, not nothing, what do you mean-" You leaned closer to Mokuba, "Don't make me tell Seto you became friends with him." 

"Wha- Don't use my brother against me!" Mokuba gasped and turned to you with a shocked look. "Th-That's not gonna work, ya know!" 

You paused and gave him a stare, what are you going to do to convince him to say what Yugi thought of you? 

Wait, you got an idea. 

"....Hahh, you're right. I mean, it'd be unfair," You sighed and looked away from Mokuba, "I mean, I never told you what Nymphi thought of you, so you telling me what Yugi thinks would be unfair."

"Yeah it- wait what?" Mokuba stared at you with wide eyes,

"And oh boy she has a lot to say about you. She- oop, almost said it." You covered your mouth and smirked. 

"Wh- Nymphi! H-How is she doing?" Mokuba asked,

"Oh she's doing- oh wait..." You paused and looked at him, "I can't tell you, it's a secret~" 

"Aw- what?!" Mokuba frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Nothing." You shrugged your shoulders, 

"...I sense mockery." Mokuba sneered,

"What?! Me? Mocking? As if!" You sarcastically said and crossed your arms, "Who do you take me for?" 

Mokuba raised an eyebrow and stared at you. 

"....okay, but what does Nymphi really think of me as-"

"Say, how about we make a deal," You looked at Mokuba, "I tell you what Nymphi thinks of you and you tell me what Yugi thinks of me." 

Silence. 

"....you..." Mokuba frowned, "...y-you think I would fall for that? Hah! You are so wrong! As if I would want to know what Nymphi, your little sister, thinks of me." 

"...okay this is getting boring." You sighed and heard a knock on the door. "...darn, and I really wanted to know what he thought." 

"...Well, I'll tell you it was as if you've known him for a while." Mokuba mumbled,

"Huh," You turned to look at him with a smirk and heard the door open 

"(y/n)," Seto Kaiba walked in the room.

"Seto!" Mokuba greeted his brother with a huge smile

"What's up?" You blinked,

"Your grandfather wants to talk to you." Seto informed and watched you smile. 

"Where?" 

"He's in my office, waiting."

"I-In person!?" You squeaked,

"No, through face-time." Seto answered bluntly,

"...oh." You frowned, _then don't act as if he's here in person_. You got up and walked past him, "Where do I go?" 

"My office." Kaiba bluntly answered and escorted you to his office. 

It was a huge office. Library stacks were found on some corners of the room, and at the way back was his desk with windows as the back-wall. You walked down the room to his desk to find his computer flaring a familiar face.

"Papa!" You never felt so happy to see someone you KNOW. You watched his grin emerge as his hands clasped together out of excitement. 

"Ah, my little (y/n)! It's been so long! How was the tournament? I'm sure you beat some kids butts to get to the top!" 

"Uh.." You gulped, "...Well, I managed to get into some battles..." 

By some I mean one. 

"That's my girl, did you beat them?!" 

"They surrendered, they called it quits before leaving." You answered,

"Ahhaa! Some people can be scared of winners." Your papa rolled his eyes with a small smile. 

"I'll leave you 2 be. When you're done, end the call and leave the office. I'll be waiting outside." Kaiba informed and left the office to leave you and Papa alone. 

"...So?" Papa sighed and rested his head on his hands, "How's the seal?" 

"The usual." You sighed and sat down on Kaiba's chair. 

"Been acting up?" 

"Kinda, yeah." You nodded, 

"Blasted thing, if I had the choice, I would rip that seal off of you and shove it to hell." 

"Aha..." 

"Do you have any friends over there besides Mokuba and Seto?" 

"Uhm..." You bit your lip, "...Kinda?" 

"Kinda?" Papa raised an eyebrow, "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Well...ya see..." You gulped, "....there's this...boy." 

**SLAM.**

Papa slammed his hands on his table and stared at you, 

"I'm sorry there's a what-now?" 

"A boy...h-his name is Yugi Motou." You informed,

"Yugi Motou...isn't he that new King of Games that Kaiba is obsessed with?" Papa asked. 

"Uh, yeah."

"You've been flirting with the KING OF GA-"

"NO!" You interrupted him immediately, "No I am not." 

"Oh really?" Papa raised an eyebrow, "Then what about this Yugi Motou?" 

"He's been...weird?" You raised an eyebrow with uncertainty from the choice of words, "Like there are times where I felt like we knew each other, like there's a whole different person inside of him or something." 

"Bipolar?" Papa asked,

"No, nothing like that." You shook your head, "Like, there were times where I felt his presence but he wasn't even close by. It's as if we knew each other from a long time ago or something - like we were friends?" 

"Hm, that's weird, anything looked suspicious on him?" Papa asked, 

"Well..." you thought of that puzzle wrapped around his neck, "...there was this weird puzzle around his neck, even the Seal mentioned it." 

"The seal mentioned it?!" Papa asked with wide eyes,

"Yeah." You nodded, "So I am not sure if what I feel is connected to that weird puzzle-" 

"What did it look like?" Papa asked.

"...Never really looked into it.." You laughed nervously. "I was busy being transported from one place to another by Pegasus." 

"You were noticed by Pegasus?!" Papa was shocked. 

"Yeah, he knew about the Seal as well.." 

You decided not to tell Papa that Pegasus wanted to steal your soul but the Seal rescued you. 

"Wow. People in Japan are WEIRD." Papa frowned, "Well, doll, I hope you come back soon, okay?" 

"Okay, are you leaving?" 

"Unfortunately, yes." Papa nodded, "I have to go, meetings and all that garbage I have to do." Papa rolled his eyes, "Until then, see you soon." He pressed his hand against the screen as so did you. You gave him a smile and watched him hang up. You ended the call and walked out of Kaiba's office, like Kaiba had wanted you to. You saw Kaiba standing beside the door,

"Done?" 

"Yup." You nodded and watched Kaiba walk back inside his office, 

"Wait, Kaiba?" You called Kaiba and watched his head turn to you,

"Can I like, walk around about in town?" You asked, "Take an adventure - by myself?" 

"Who said you can't?" Kaiba asked with an eyebrow raised and continued to walk into his office. 

....as offensive as that sounds he's right. 

You frowned at that remark and walked away from his office and towards the elevator to head out of Kaiba Corp. 

\---------------------------

Yay! You managed to escape Kaiba Corp -

Well, no, not escape, you left Kaiba Corp to take a look around the city. You walked past the streets and looked around with your eye. You have never actually walked inside the city before. It was considered to be your first time. You strolled along the streets and walked in places that interest you the most. There were even official duel monsters stores available for you. You walked in some and thanked any high authority in the world you brought some money. You managed to get a few cards that you found the most intriguing. You strolled down the marketplace that held anything duel monsters related with a small smile. You were beginning to like this city. However, a strange feeling buzzed in from time to time, as if you were expecting someone to swing by and chat with you. You shrugged it off, thinking maybe it was because it was the first time you were alone out in the city that you felt a little off. It doesn't matter, really, 

'Besides,' You mentally sighed, 'I'm having a little fun!' 

Or so you thought. 

It wasn't long before you felt someone grab your hand. You gasped and turned around immediately to see who it was. Your eye immediately made contact with the violet eyed boy with spiky blonde hair. The sensation came back, as if this person wasn't who they seem to be.

The Other Yugi. 

====================================

**~Ending: ~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	13. Season 2; Episode 2

**_~Opening: ~_ **

===================================

"Well this is certainly a surprise." You blinked and stared at him, "You're here." 

"Where else would I be at?" He asked and crossed his arms.

"Somewhere else, probably?" You shrugged your shoulders, "What are you doing here anyway?" 

"I live here." He responded

"...I can see that, but I mean, what are you doing _here_?" You raised an eyebrow,

"Oh, I am here because-"

" _There you are, Pharaoh!_ " A female voice shouted from afar. You blinked and looked at the other Yugi as he bit his lip and averted his gaze from you. 

"You suddenly walked off! I was really worried-" You saw Tea walking to the other Yugi with a smile on her face. The moment she saw you, her smile faded and frowned a little,

"...I see you're with (y/n)." You heard her mumble, then watched her pike up a smile on her face, "Ah! (Y/n)! You're here? We haven't seen you since the Tournament!" 

"Ah...yeah!" You nodded your head with a smile, "How has it been?" 

"Been pretty good, actually. I went out with Yami- I mean Yugi the past few hours or so!" Tea responded, already under sweat. Yami? 

**_"Looks like the other Yugi has a name."_** The seal sparked. 

_Oh shut up._

"With Yugi?" You turned your head to 'Yugi' with an eyebrow raised, "Are you sure it's Yugi and not someone else?" 

"What do you mean by that?" Tea asked nervously. 

"So you can tell it's not me?" The other Yugi looked at you with a smile,

"Well, Tea just called you by another, and your aura is completely different than the Yugi I met at the boat way before the tournament began," You sighed, "So based off the process of elimination, I am to assume you're..?" 

"Yami." Yami formally introduced himself, "You're smarter than you look." 

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment." You sighed and turned to Tea with a smile, "So? How did the date go?" You asked. 

Tea turned bright red and Yami avoided eye contact, 

"I-It wasn't a date! It was more of like...a meet up!" Tea stuttered, "It wasn't a date I assure you!" 

"You sure?" You raised an eyebrow, "usually when a boy and a girl are out alone.." You twiddled your fingers with a small smirk.

"Ask Yugi, not me. He dragged me out here in the first place." Yami shrugged his shoulders. You blinked,

"So Yugi set a blind date?" 

"That's not it!" Both Yami and Tea screamed at the same time. 

"Yugi asked me to help out with Yami finding his past, because he doesn't remember it!" Tea informed. 

"Oh...well you could've just said that." You frowned. 

"Wha-" Tea blinked in shock, "I didn't think you would believe there were 2-" 

"Trust me, what I have gone through, I would take it in a heartbeat." You rolled your eyes. 

**_"I take that as offensive."_ **

_Oh shut up_. 

You sighed, "So? Did you find anything relating to your past?" You asked,

"Well, sorta." Tea responded, "We found a lead, you could say?" 

"A lead?" You blinked,

"There's a destiny that I need to fulfill." Yami sighed, "There's a great evil among us, and I need to stop it." 

"Ah." You blinked, "Well, I am sure you'll pull through, I mean you are the King of Games."

"Hah, title doesn't mean anything, it's just a title." Yami chuckled,

"A title you deserve, I mean, you're really good at what you do-" You got interrupted by a sudden sinister laughter perking from all around you. You stopped talking and looked around to find the source of that laughter but found nothing.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Tea asked, "Did something happen?" 

"No, everything's fine, Tea." Yami looked at Tea. You bit your lip and kept your mouth shut, you didn't want to tell Tea you heard a sinister laugh just now, and based off Yami's response, he probably heard it too. 

"Hey! Yugi is that you!" A familiar female spoke out with enthusiasm. Your eye twitched, you already knew who that was based off her voice. 

"It's Mai, isn't it." You shuddered.

"...She's running this way." Yami mumbled,

"...yay." Tea mumbled sarcastically with a frown. You shuddered in disgust and turned to see her running with a smile,

"I know you guys missed me~" Mai said with a smile,

"It's such a shame we don't hang out often." Tea said with a forced smile. Mai giggled and put Tea in an arm lock, 

"I know~!" Mai kept that same smile and whispered a few things to Tea, who didn't look quite pleased to hear. 

"...and here I thought I was going to take a stroll around the city." You sighed,

"Life takes lots of turns, (y/n), things happen." Yami whispered to you and glanced at Mai. "I assume you're here for the tournament?" 

"Oh, of course!" Mai responded,

"Tournament?" You blinked,

"You didn't know? Someone is hosting a tournament!" Mai looked at you in shock, "I thought you would know, given you are a duelist."

"I would've known if I weren't shut away from society from certain people." You gave a straight face, indirectly referring to Pegasus and Kaiba. 

"Speaking of the tournament, didn't you get the invitation?" Mai asked,

"I did, but with no name." Yami sighed,

"Figured." Mai sighed, "No one knows who's hosting this tournament. Everyone who I spoke to got the same anonymous note. However, word is going that the host has a ton a cash, and has an obnoxious attitude." Mai informed, "Wonder who could that be."

"...Kaiba." You and Mai said at the same time. 

"Oh! (Y/n)! I forgot you are here!" Mai said with a closed eye smile, 

"I will take that as a compliment." You responded with the same smile. 

"So that's why Ishizu told me to enter the tournament...." Yami mumbled. 

"...Ugh, Yugi speak louder because I can't hear. But, I can assure you this isn't Pegasus again."

"Speaking of Pegasus, this tournament, is giving me Duelist Kingdom vibes." you added,

"You can say that again," Yami nodded, "There is a lot of familiar faces here."

"And most I am not pleased to see..." Mai shuddered,

"Ugh, you're right. Weevil and Rex are here." Tea shuddered in disgust. 

"Oh, so brat #1 and #2 are here?" You blinked, 

"And that's not all, Espa Roba is here too." Mai referred to 3 small boys with cyan blue hair. You leaned over to catch a glimpse of them, "They say they have psychic powers." 

"And Mako is here!" Tea gasped upon seeing a man with long hair, eating away on a few fish sticks. 

"...If what Mai said is true, then we're going to have one hell of a ride." 

"Speaking of rides, look who's there." Tea's eyes averted upward at a screen which held Kaiba's face. 

"...Kaiba.." Yami mumbled, 

"Greetings, duelists." Kaiba spoke through the screen, "Welcome to the town of Domino, but more importantly, welcome to my tournament!" 

"I don't know which is bigger, his ego or his melon on the big screen." Mai sighed,

"...And this is going to be the first time in my life that I agree with you." You nodded. 

"I see you each received a private invite to Kaibacorps exclusive tournament, and I see you all have the brains to actually come here tonight. Being you are all exceptional duelists, my tournament has special rules for you. For example, you will duel with these new and improved duel discs." The screen went to Kaiba's arm to show a newly modified disc. "Another special rule I've added is before each duel, the duelist needs to set their rarest card in debt. The loser shall forfeit their card to the winner." 

"Damn...so even with one loss.." You clenched your fists, Kaiba takes these things to the next level. 

"I will make Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom Tournament look like a joke." Kaiba said with a smirk as everyone roared with excitement. 

"Always making it sound like a competition." You rolled your eye. It wasn't long before you heard a helicopter come from above. You blinked and turned around to find Kaiba standing before you, Mai, Tea, and Yugi. 

"Kaiba.." Yami clenched his fists and stared at him. After moments of silence, Kaiba rose up one finger with a smirk, 

"Be sure to register and get your duel disc, because in one week from today, my battle city tournament begins!" Kaiba said with a smirk. 

"...(y/n)," You heard Mai call your name. You perked up and looked at her, "Yeah?" 

"You were with Kaiba almost this whole entire time since after Duelist Kingdom, right?" Mai asked, 

"Yeah.." You nodded,

"Why didn't you tell us it was him that was hosting the tournament?" Mai asked

"If I knew I would've already registered." You sighed, "Unfortunately, the entire time I was there, Kaiba was MIA and didn't tell me much. Speaking of Kaiba, I should head back to Kaibacorp. I have a few things to tell him myself." You sighed

Like why he didn't give you that invite. 

"I'll walk with you there," Yami looked at you then at Mai and Tea, "You 2 go on ahead. I'll see you tomorrow, Tea."

"But Yami-" Tea bit her lip

"I'll be fine." Yami assured Tea, "let's go, (y/n)." He looked at you with a smile. 

"...Yeah.." You nodded and took off with Yami walking beside you. Once the 2 girls were off your back, you looked at Yami,

"You've got a big one coming." You spoke softy,

"Yes..I do. I must get past this tournament and fight Kaiba to prevent an ancient evil from arising." Yami sighed,

"Ancient evil?" You blinked,

"Yes, apparently, I was an Egyptian Pharaoh who prevented evil from taking over, and that very same evil has sprung up again." Yami nodded,

"Sounds like a dejavu." You sighed

"Haha, it does if you think about it." Yami laughed a little, then looked at you with a smile, "You're taking this in quite well."

"I told you before, didn't I?" You reminded him, "At this point I'll take anything like a heartbeat." 

"And what did you go through for you to say that?" Yami asked. 

You stopped on your tracks. You hoped he wouldn't ask this question. Noticing your sudden halt, Yami stopped and looked at you.

With a shaky breath, you looked at him and said calmly, 

"A lot of stuff that I am not quite comfortable to talk about." 

And the conversation ended there. 

It wasn't long before you and Yami talked about other subjects, completely pushing the previous one aside as if it has never happened. Surly enough, it wasn't long before you were standing infront of Kaibacorp. 

"Well, looks like you're here." Yami sighed, "Going to put Kaiba in a drill for not telling you about the tournament?" 

"Oh yeah." You cracked your knuckles, "I'm tired of being transported from one kitchen to another." 

Yami laughed at that remark and patted your shoulder, "Well, have fun with that. See you soon." 

"And you as well." You nodded and watched him walk off. "Wait, Yami!" You called Yami, who turned to look at you. 

"....Even though our destines are far different than each others, I truly hope you manage to succeed in yours." You spoke, 

"...and I hope the same for you, for whatever you're going through." Yami gave you a soft smile, "thank you for that. I appreciate it." He waved and took off into the crowds to be away from your sight. 

That felt good. 

You walked in KaibaCorp and took the elevator to Kaiba's office. Upon opening the doors, you found Kaiba in his office, sitting on his chair with his eyes locked onto yours,

"I assume you're here because you are upset I didn't notify you of the tournament?" Kaiba asked,

"Yup." You responded,

"Not to worry about that, you are already registered." Kaiba pulled out a suitcase and placed it on his desk. While staring at you, he opened the case to reveal a duel disc. You stared at the disc, then back at Kaiba, who gave you a smirk.

_"Welcome to the tournament, (y/n) (l/n)."_

========================================

**_Ending:_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	14. Season 2; Episode 3

_**~Opening: ~** _

===============================================

Honestly you couldn't have been more happier than you are now. 

The last time you were this happy was when you finally got permission to join Duelist Kingdom, and that wasn't recent. 

You silently approached Kaiba's desk and took the disc, "So rather than telling me about this tournament, you had me wait until you announced it, and waited for me to approach you, just to exclusively give me a disc?" You raised an eyebrow as you took the disc from the suitcase,

"I felt due to you being a special guest, you should be given special treatment. And knowing you would head out downtown, I can't have you going around and telling certain people about my tournament, so I had to keep it classified from you for quite a while." Kaiba answered with a small smirk. 

_Dick._

**_"But he's right"_ **

_Shut up._

**_"It's what I do best."_ **

You could feel the sarcasm.

Shrugging it off, you thanked Kaiba and turned to leave the office,

"(y/n)." Kaiba called you. You turned around and looked at him, 

"...just because you're here with me doesn't mean you're anything special. You're still going to play with the rules like any ordinary player." He spoke with narrowed eyes,

"Don't need to tell me twice." You scoffed in response and left his office. 

_Man, his ego is shining like a diamond now a days_. 

"(y/n)!" You heard Mokuba call with excitement. You turned around and saw Mokuba running over to you, filled with pure excitement and joy,

"You got a disc! You're entering the tournament!" 

"You thought I wouldn't?" You put your hands on your hips, "Such cruel thinking!" 

"Aha, I knew you would, how could you miss this chance!" Mokuba laughed, "You think you're going to make it to the finals?" 

"Of course!" You nodded and ruffled his hair. "What, you think I'm a newbie?" 

"I've never seen you actually duel before." Mokuba frowned. You frowned and took a deep breath, 

"Because I was dragged around by people and kept in a cage like, all day?" You frowned, 

"Ooh, I know how that feels." Mokuba sighs, "Believe me, I do." 

"Aha, buddies." You fist bumped Mokuba and walked to your room,

"Have fun, okay?!" Mokuba called out, 

"I will~" You nodded and waved him a farewell for the night. You walked in your room and sat on your bed to carefully examine the new disc Kaiba gave you. 

Finally, you had the chance to battle. 

You only had one battle back in duelist kingdom, and that person surrendered because they felt they weren't strong enough to continue. 

That made you feel horrible because they were in fact a good duelist. 

You put the disc on your desk and took off your eyepatch. Before heading to bed, you took one good look at your cursed eye. 

_Why me?_

When you woke up, you hopped out of your bed, put your eyepatch on with some clothes, and ran outside. Although you have 6 more days before the tournament begins, you gotta at least check it out with Yami. 

_....Yami._

You meant Yugi, right? 

_....Yami._

Why were you more excited to see Yami? He's only a spirit, right? 

You walked out of KaibaCorp and walked through the streets, hoping to find anyone that you recognized. You saw duelists left and right holding onto the box containing the disc Kaiba modified. They looked rather excited to start, their eyes shining in excitement and happiness as they showed off they were apart of the Battle City Tournament. 

**_"Look at them, those stupid beings all excited makes me wanna puke.."_** It shuddered, _**"Where's the agony? The anger? The horror?"**_

_People want to be happy, like I am at the moment._

**_"You act as though you're going to stay happy."_**

You stopped walking and stared at the ground. Biting you lip, you decided to ignore the comment and continued walking your way.

**_"Where are you even going? You have no idea where you're headed."_ **

_Well, it's worth the adventure._

**_"You're weird."_ **

_Coming from the Seal with a voice._

**_"Oh please, you like it."_ **

_Gods no._

It wasn't long before you heard your name being called. Blinking, you turned around to find a small shop not far from where you stood, known as Kame Game. The voice came from the window, and upon looking at who it was, you smiled. 

"Hey, Yugi!" You greeted, 

"What are you doing here?" Yugi asked, 

"I was actually looking for you," You put your hands on your hips,

"Me or Yami?" Yugi smirked, "Cause you seemed quite comfortable with Yami~" 

"Oh shut it," You sneered, "Both of you." 

"Aha, figured." Yugi laughed, "Come on in, I'll meet you downstairs!" Yugi gestured for you to come inside the store. You nodded and walked in the store. It was a nice, simple store holding duel cards. It wasn't as packed as you expected, given the tournament is almost around the corner. It wasn't long before you heard rapid steps coming from upstairs. It wasn't long before you saw the little King of Games running over to you with a big smile,

"So? How did everything go with Kaiba?" Yugi asked,

"He actually gave me a disc. He wanted to 'exclusively' give me one." You rolled your eyes and quoted Kaiba's statement from the night before. Yugi laughed,

"Yeah, sounds like him." He nodded his head, "Oh, have you met my grandpa?" 

"Your grandpa?" You blinked, "Oh, I haven't." 

"You didn't-!?" Yugi gasped, "You have to now! Grandpa! (Y/n)'s here!"

"Oh, (y/n)?" You heard an old man's voice come from upstairs, "I'm coming, I'm coming, hold on a second." 

Coming from downstairs was a short, old male, with almost the same look as Yugi - his hair structure was the same except the color was a light grey than a strict blonde, and his eyes were the same violet-eyes Yugi has. 

"Ah, you must be (y/n)," The old man said with a gentle smile, "I am Solomon Motou, Yugi's grandpa." He took his hand out, 

"Nice to meet you, I'm (y/n) (l/n)," you gave a small bow and took his hand. You could tell he looked rather pleased with your introduction, "You know, Yugi talked a lot about you the past few weeks," 

"Ah, really?" You blinked. Yugi turned red,

"G...Grandpa you're making it sound bad..." 

"Am I? Ah, I apologize, this is the first time you're here, right?" Solomon asked,

"Well, it's the first time I am here alone," You answered, "My grandfather comes here for business and takes me along with him." 

"Ah, is that right? What business?" Solomon asked,

"Ah, he works on duelist cards, his company is known as 'The Card's Chalice'." You answered and watched Solomon's face light up. 

"Really?!" Yugi gasped, "That's one of the most successful companies relating to duel monsters, even close to KaibaCorp! Wow...no wonder Kaiba took you the moment he saw you back at Duelist Kingdom..." 

"Mhm, my grandfather is good friends with him," You nodded,

"... _Kaiba has friends?!_ " Yugi appeared to be more shocked of that than the fact your grandfather holds one of the most successful duelist companies. 

"I think it's more of mutual respect of one another..." Solomon sighed, 

"Maybe?" You shrugged, "Never seemed to care about that." 

"Hey Yugi!" You heard a familiar female call from front of the store. You turned around and saw Tea walking in with a closed eye smile,

"How's it go-" She stopped when she saw you, "...(y/n)!" 

"Really? (y/n)?!" You heard another voice peep from behind and saw Joey spring up with a big smile, "Is it really her? Ahhh it is! Hey (y/n), it's been a while!" Joey ran over to you and held both your hands. "How's it going? It must've been hell back at Kaiba's, you poor thing." 

"(y/n)!" You heard Tristan call for you. You leaned over to see him walk up to you with a smile, "How's it hanging?" 

"Well, everything is going fine." You sighed, "And Kaiba was fine as well." 

"Did he treat you like crap?" Joey asked, 

"No, he didn't. He was occupied with the tournament." You sighed, "I was with Mokuba most of the time." 

"Ya gotta like Mokuba." Tristan sighed, "He's the best out of those 2." 

"Right? That darned Kaiba.." Joey gritted his teeth upon mentioning Kaiba. Your eye caught Tea and Yugi talking, and Tea didn't look really happy with him. 

"We were actually going to register Yugi and I over to the Battle City Tournament, did you register?" Joey asked,

"As a matter of fact, Kaiba 'exclusively' gave me a duel disc and already registered me." You quoted Kaiba's words yet again and watched Joey and Tristan cringe. 

"That sounds like something he would say." Joey muttered, "But do come with us for our registration, come ooonnn!" Joey nudged your elbow,

"I'll come, I'll come." you nodded and watched Joey's eyes light up within an instant. 

"Alrighttt! Ya hear that guys, (y/n) is gonna watch me get registered!" Joey cheered,

"Is she going to register?" Tea asked,

"She already is, ya know, thanks to Kaiba's hospitality." Joey responded, "Now let's go~!" Joey took your arm and walked you out the store with Tristan following. You glanced again to find Tea talking with Yugi as they left the store. 

_I wonder what they are talking about..._

You walked in the store and watched Joey get declined by the man behind the desk. But surprisingly, the man said there was a small malfunction and gave him the disc, which left Joey extremely happy. You watched Joey with a small smile, honestly you could feel his enthusiasm about this tournament despite his enemy being the host. Eventually, Tea caught up to you and talked to you with a small smile on her face, and it wasn't long before the sun set, and Joey had to leave. 

"The hospital?" You blinked,

"Yeah, remember how Joey got the money?" Yugi reminded you, "He used the money for his sister's operation, and she really wants him there before the operation begins." 

"Oh yeah!" Your mind clicked and you smiled at Joey, "Well, tell her I said good luck," 

Joey smiled. 

He ran off into the dark towards the hospital, leaving you with Tristan, Yugi, and Tea. 

"I heard his mother is going to be there..." Yugi mumbled,

"That's right, she is." Tristan nodded,

"Ah, is that right? Well that's good." You sighed with relief, 

"Well, I would've said the same if his mom wasn't the reason Joey and his sister split." Tristan sighed. You blinked and stared at Tristan in shock, 

"Wait, what?" 

"Yeah, his mom separated Joey and his sister, and he hasn't seen her since." Tristan explained

"That would be 7 years!" Yugi gasped,

"Yeah...and I'll do my best to have that family stick together once again!" Tristan emotionally said as he had a clenched fist,

"You sure you're going to do that, Tristan?" Tea giggled,

"I'm sure he will, especially since he is doing it to impress Joey's sister, Serenity." Yugi laughed. 

Tristan frowned with his cheeks tinted red. 

You laughed. 

As you, Yugi, and Tea walked down the streets, you eventually told them it's time for you to split. You knew if you stayed too long, Kaiba would be making his grand entrance, all pissed that you were out around Yugi for too long. 

"Ah, really?" Yugi frowned, "Then meet me at the usual, at Kame Game, alright?" 

"Alright." You nodded,

"You know the way, right?" Yugi asked,

"Yup." you nodded 

"Alright, I'll head on, come on, Tea." Yugi waved at you, "See you, (y/n)!" 

"See you." You gave Yugi a gentle smile and headed along your own way silently. 

Strangely, the seal said nothing. 

Few days have gone by, and it wasn't long before the tournament began. You were practicing with the disc, with given permission from Kaiba for experimental purposes. It wasn't long before you were up and ready for the tournament to start. 

"Wait, before you head off and duel until you collapse," Kaiba stopped you and gave you a small glass pane with a small chip in the bottom left corner,

"What's this?" 

"It will be useful when you win tournaments, you know." Kaiba smirked at you, "Now go have fun." Kaiba shooed you off,

"Care to explain this to me before I leave?" You asked with an eyebrow raise, "It's what I need, especially after the countless times you've called me for experiments." 

Kaiba rolled his eyes, "This chip gives you the location to somewhere very special. Win the whole map by winning the duels and getting the loser's chip. Simple." Kaiba bluntly responded. 

You sighed, better than nothing. 

You took off and started to duel, it wasn't long before the familiar thrill came back over to you, as you beat people left and right and getting the chips you need. 

Until.... _it_ happened. 

You were walking by the streets with a huge smile, it has been so long since you've been this excited throughout your life, you knew you had to share it with someone. You ended up finding Joey and Tea talking with someone new. Your eye lit up upon seeing them, finally, someone to talk to! You approached them with a big smile on your face,

"Jo-" 

**_"Stay away."_ **

You felt a familiar force push you back and you let out a small yelp. It caught the attention of Joey and Tea, who stared at you in shock, 

"(y/n)!" Tea shouted,

Then, _it_ happened. 

A group of people dressed in capes swooped in and captured Tea and Joey, along with the new person. You tried to get up, but the pressure was too harsh on your chest, you already knew what caused the pressure. 

**_"Let them go. I am not letting anything happen to you."_ **

"(y/n)! Stay away! Run!" Joey screamed, "They are too dangerous, stay away!" 

"J...Joey.." You winced and watched these caped men pull the 3 away from your sights, along with the pressure against your chest. You took heavy breaths and watched the darkness hovering you, where Tea and Joey were forced into. 

You got up and tried to run after them, but that same familiar force pushed you back once more. 

_daMNIT LET ME GO!_

**_"You'll thank me later for this."_** It hissed in reply, **_"You think I am going to let you blindly run into trouble?"_**

_But...they need me-_

_"No. I need you. To Stay. Where you Are."_

You forced yourself up and looked around the area, surly there must be another way to get to them! 

Damnit if only you knew the map structure of this place, you could find some way to catch up without directly following them - ! 

You got to find a way. You looked around and ran down the street and into an alleyway. Maybe there's a way to go around them. 

Relying on your instincts and not the Seal hissing, you ran down the alleyway blindly, just as the Seal said you would be. 

Your stamina began to ran low, as you dropped to your knees. You took heavy breaths and looked around to fin yourself in a small area that had bones surrounding you. Not far looked to be another dead end, so you failed once again. You ran blindly for around an hour or so and found yourself to realize Domino City is like a maze and you should've gotten a map. 

You slowly got up and looked behind you, welp, if this isn't the way, surly there is some other way - 

"Hey, you." You heard someone call your name. You froze and watched 2 men in capes emerge from the darkness. 

Oh God...they looked like exactly like the ones who took Tea and Joey- 

"Wh...Where are Joey and Tea?" You whispered out of breath, 

"They'll be fine..." The man smirked, "...do you want to join them?" 

You stiffened and watched them slowly approach you, 

"...I want to rescue them from your ass." You clenched your fists, 

"Not to worry, they won't be harmed, we just need them." The man on the left assured in a playful voice,

"With force, nothing wrong about that." You sarcastically noted. 

"Just don't move, make things easier for us." The man on the right said as both men lunge at you. You were going to fight back, however, due to you using all your strength with running, you weren't as strong as you would've been. But that didn't mean you completely gave up. You pushed one man aside but got punched by the other, knocking you down to the floor. Clenching your fist and gritting your teeth, you kicked the nearest man in the stomach as the other jumped on top of you. That knocked most the air off your lungs and your vision grew hazy almost immediately. You heard the men laugh as one of them yanked off your eyepatch. 

That did it. 

A bright, green light shined through the whole area as the men jumped off of you, 

"Wh...What the-" One man said before it all went quiet. 

You slowly sat up to find the 2 men on the floor, not moving at all. 

What happened to them. 

**.....CRUNCH**

Your eyes widened upon hearing the noise surge your head. Your whole body vibrated as the noise shot down your entire body. Your hands shot up to your head as your whole body trembled, 

**CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH**

You whimpered as the loud noise continued. 

This was all too familiar. 

Your eye stung, your back pounded in pain as the crunching noise continued. Your hands shot to your eye as you let out a small yelp. 

_This was.....all too familiar._ You knew exactly what happened to the men. 

**_"....well that was refreshing.."_ **

Your whole body shivered and shuddered, then trembled in fear. 

It happened again. 

The Seal took the 2 men's soul and ate them. 

**_"I told you, didn't I? I am not letting anything happen to you until you finish what you're meant to do."_ **

_My God...leave me alone..._

_" **You know that's never going to happen...."**_

You bit your lip and stared at the bodies. After moments of silence, a noise broke through that caused your skin to go pale. 

You heard a helicopter lurking nearby. 

_If anyone saw you with 2 dead men on the floor..._

With the pain and fear in your body surging through your body, you forced yourself up and lunged yourself behind one of the big boxes that lurked in the dark. Surely enough, you could feel the helicopter lurking above, and just knowing someone witnessed the 2 bodies made you cover your face from above. 

"...Her tracking device leads us here....but she isn't here..." 

That voice....

You perked up upon hearing that voice, you recognized the obnoxious attitude from the tone of the voice.

That's Seto Kaiba. 

Your whole body shrunk out of fear of being noticed by Seto Kaiba, especially now. 

"Damn...(y/n)! Where are you!" 

That's another person, another person who you recognized almost immediately. Your eyes widened as your whole body began to pound out of fear and the pain given from the Seal. 

"What the hell happened here.." Kaiba mumbled. 

Your breathing stopped. Your whole body stopped functioning. Tears automatically went down your cheeks and you couldn't move at all. 

_Oh God...oh God....oh God oh God Oh God oh God-_

_"...(y/n)?"_ You heard the other voice call from right behind you. 

You stiffened, already feeling the gaze going to you. Your head slowly averted above you to see him looking at you with concern and relief,

"....(y/n)..." Yami mumbled with a gentle voice. He walked around the box and knelt down in front of you. Immediately you covered your face, no...you didn't want him to see you like this, especially without the eyepatch on you. 

"S...Stay away.." You lightly whispered, "....I....I am......n...not.." 

His crimson eyes softened a little upon seeing you in a wreck. 

_"I....I don't want it to take you too..."_ Your voice whimpered softly as your hands were tight around your face. 

You don't want anything to take him away. You knew once the Seal had one soul it would want more. 

_Not him...please not him_. 

Yami slowly reached out to you and gently touched your shoulders. Upon seeing you flinch, he stopped for a while, then slowly pulled you to his chest. 

"...I am not going anywhere and you're not going to take me." Yami whispered in your ear. He could feel your whole body tremble and that hurt him. He wrapped his arms around you tightly and lightly pressed his cheek against your forehead. 

"...Kaiba, you have a first aid kit in the chopper, right?" Yami asked and looked at Kaiba who watched the scene silently. 

"...I'll be back with it." Kaiba sighed and went up the ladder. 

Yami's eyes softly went down to you and gently whispered assurance that he wasn't going anywhere. 

For the first time in a long time, you felt warmth from someone else. 

And you didn't want to let go.

=============================

**_~Ending: ~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	15. Season 2; Episode 4

_**~Opening: ~** _

**_===========================================_ **

You remained silent as your arms were stuck wrapped around Yami, your face buried in his chest. You didn't want to see anyone, you felt ashamed to turn and see the 2 soulless men who lay before you. Strangely enough, Yami didn't say much either, he simply held you in place and rested his chin against your head. You could feel the presence of Mokuba sitting next to you with the occasional pat on the back from the little brother. 

There wasn't much conversation until Seto Kaiba returned with the kit. 

"Here," He passed it to Yami, who took it and held your shoulder with his available hand. You tightened your grip on Yami just a little,

_I don't want to leave..._

_I don't want you to see the monster that lays inside me._

_Please...just let me keep this embrace just a little longer..._

"(y/n)." Yami whispered softly, "We got to keep moving, come on." He nudged you a little and managed to pull you back. Just before he could take a look at your face, you immediately covered your eye with both your hands.

"Does it hurt?" Yami asked and gingerly touched your hands that covered your eye. You flinched and moved back with your whole body trembling once more. His hand pulled back as he gave a long look at you in silence,

"Yugi we don't have all day." Kaiba sneered,

"I know, I know, hold on." Yami reached for the kit and opened it up. 

"(y/n).." Mobuka moved next to you with a sad look on his face. Your eye darted over to Mokuba for a split second before latching back to Yami to see what he was doing. 

**_"....Look at all these fresh souls ready to be taken..."_**

_Shut up..._

**_"you know it'd be great if they tried to attack you or something, cause like, that's when they're ripe."_**

_I said shut up....._

**_"Can't stop talking when my buffet is literally in front of me."_ **

_"....just shut up."_ You gently whispered and covered your face with your legs. It wasn't long before you felt a gentle pat on your knees and lifted your head to see Yami holding an eye pad.

"Alright, remove one hand to make it easier, okay?" Yami took out the tape and applied it to the eye pad

_Is he...?_

"I noticed your eyepatch is broken, and I know how you're uncomfortable with your damaged eye to be shown to public, so why not cover it up?" Yami gave a gentle smile. 

You couldn't believe it. 

You seriously couldn't believe it. 

One of your hands dropped as what Yami had hoped for. Seeing this as an advantage, Yami leaned forward a little and started to cover up your eye. Once he put the pad around your hand, he shifted the pad so you could remove your hand. You hesitantly removed the hand only to find Yami immediately completely covering your eye and put the tape on your forehead and cheek gently. As it was done, you stared at Yami in shock, 

He isn't asking to see it? 

He's not sneaking a look? 

"Alright...almost done," Yami had a concentrated look on his face as he took out the eye shield. It was a white shield-looking item, "Just need to put this on and we're done." 

"Wow.." Mokuba stared in shock, "You're pretty good at this,"

"Really? It's my first time." Yami put the tape on the tips of the shield and carefully put it in the same angle as the pad. 

"...Why are you doing this.." You mumbled as you watched him take out a rolled bandage. He gently pressed against the shield and started to put the bandage around your head to help keep the shield in tact, 

"Did you not hear what I said?" Yami chuckled a little, "I know you're uncomfortable with-"

"Why did you come to me?" You specified, "Why...did you decide to come here?" 

Yami's focus went directly to you and paused on his process. His crimson eyes stared deeply into your (e/c) eye. 

"...I don't want you to be alone." Yami responded,

"We just met." You narrowed your eye, 

"So? You're a friend." Yami immediately responded and focused back on your eye, "Besides, we didn't just meet." 

"Technically we did." You mumbled, 

"Nope, we didn't," Yami shook his head and finished up with covering your eye, "There we go. Now we're ready to go." Yami stood up and stretched,

"Not bad, Yugi!" Mokuba looked at Yami with a big smile, "Are you sure it's the first time you've done this?" Mokuba watched Yami nod his head,

"Yeah, it is." 

"We don't have time to admire Yugi's medical work, we got to go." Kaiba sneered and walked back over to the center of the helicopter, "...before we take off, (y/n), care to explain what happened here?" 

You stared at Kaiba and eventually back to the 2 bodies that lay before you. 

**_"...Lie."_ **

"...I don't know..." You lied, "...I...I walked in to see them....then I panicked and tripped." 

Kaiba looked at the bodies one last time, then went up the ladder and back to the chopper. 

".....Kaiba, there's room for one more, right?" Yami looked up and watched Kaiba look at him and nod. Yami looked at you, "Come with us, (y/n)." He reached his hand out to you. You stared up at him in shock, he's asking you to go with him? 

"...Why?" You asked,

"Because, it's not right to leave you alone." Yami responded, "besides, we haven't really spent time like this before," 

"...What?" You blinked, "You're acting like we're good friends or something," 

"Aren't we?" Yami tilted his head. 

"Yeah, come with us, (y/n)!" Mokuba agreed with Yami, 

you were so taken aback, you didn't have a response to that question. You just met him like when, weeks ago and he's already treating you like a close friend? He doesn't even know half of your past but he is still looking at you like he looks at everyone else. 

"....you're too trusting." You sighed and watched him smile, 

"I know," He winked at you in response as he watched you take his hand. He gently pulled you up and escorted you to the chopper. Kaiba and Mokuba already sat on one side and Yami pulled you next to him on the other. With that, the ladder went up and the chopper took off, 

"...Did you see Joey and Tea?" Yami asked and looked at you with a stern look. You looked at him and slowly averted your gaze from him to the floor, 

"...Yeah...I saw them." You nodded, "...I saw them being kidnapped by those hooded men you saw...I tried running after them but the-" You paused, already catching yourself close to mentioning how the Seal pulled you back. Taking a breath, you thought of a quick lie, "..but they were too fast and knew I was following them...and the next thing I knew, the 2 men were on the floor and Joey and Tea were gone." 

"I see..." Yami bit his lip and averted his eyes to his lap. He clenched his fists, "Damn...if I were there all of this could've been prevented." 

"Now's not the time to think about the past, we have to think of the future." Kaiba stared at Yugi with an intense look, "Now, back to our previous conversation about this Marik."

"Marik?" You blinked and looked at Yami, 

"The one responsible for Tea and Joey's kidnappings." Yami informed, 

"We know where they are and we're on our way to them, so we'll catch up to them soon enough," Mokuba said with a smile, "Only 2 more miles to go," 

"Good, then it won't be long before we find Tea and Joey," Yami took a sigh of relief and leaned against his seat,

"You know, Yugi, I am getting tired of hearing about your friends, especially that hack Wheeler." Kaiba snapped,

"Joey has improved, Kaiba. He's a skilled duelist now, Kaiba. As a matter of fact, I won't be surprised if Joey fits the conditions of applying for the Battle City Finals Tournament." Yami darted his eyes over to Kaiba, 

"...Everyone has a chance on improving," You sighed and leaned against your chair, "All that is needed is time and experience. Joey has both and has improved." You looked at Kaiba who scoffed at you. 

An intense silence followed afterwards. Your eye averted to Yami, who leaned against the window and watched the view with a stern yet concerned face. You could tell all sorts of thoughts clouded his head by looking at him. You wanted to do something, he did cover your eye, the least you could do is assure him or something.....right? 

You gulped and stiffened upon that thought, yeah but what should you do to assure him? Tell him everything is going to be alright? 

Sounds too cheesy...

How about holding his hand? ? ? 

...

Hell no you're not dating him. 

You bit your lip and averted your gaze, 

Maybe patting his shoulder and telling him it's fine? 

...

That's the same as the first choice you made but with physical contact. 

Man, sometimes you hated being an introvert. 

You awkwardly shifted a little away from him and looked away, maybe if you do nothing? 

...yeah the feeling of guilt isn't letting you do that. 

Your eye caught Mokuba staring at you with pure amusement. He bit his lip with a big smile and his shoulders bounced. You could tell he was trying not to laugh.

_oh that little -_

You frowned and watched him quickly look at Yami and back to you, indicating for you to make a move,

 _'If you're gonna make a move do it now'_ Is what he mentally screamed. 

You glanced at Yami and back at Mokuba with your head shaking vigorously. Mokuba sneered and jolted his head a little in Yami's direction.

If Kaiba were to look at Mokuba right now he would be questioning why Mokuba is weirdly moving his head towards Yami. 

Thank Orichalcos Kaiba has his eyes closed, probably thinking about something entirely different like money or something. 

Welp, because Mokuba has caught on your internal conflicts on what to do to cheer him up, it has left you no choice but to actually do something. 

Hesitantly, you looked at Yami, scooted closer to him and gently held his hand. 

Honestly, it was the only thing you could do at this point. You found this to be the best because you knew if you said 'it'll be fine' or whatnot, Kaiba would be **bound** to say something. Besides, it sorta gave the idea to remove the false assurance because honestly, you didn't know what is going to happen beyond this point. 

You bit your lip and kept your eyes on your hand that gently rested on top of Yami's, recalling the past times Papa held your hand like this, in silence as you pondered in the clouds of thought with stress and anxiety. You remembered how the Seal drove you mad in one place and Papa would sit next to you and quietly held your hand to give you silent assurance. He didn't say anything nor do anything, he just held your hand and it made things...seem better than usual. You figured doing this will help rather than saying some random cheesy thought. 

and it did. 

Yami's hand slowly interlaced with yours and tightened the grip just a little. 

_**=================================** _

**_I hope you enjoyed this semi-short chapter. I figured there should be a chapter where it's just you and Yami sitting together before the stress of the thought of losing close friends._ **

**_~Ending: ~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	16. Season 2; Episode 5

_**~Opening: ~ ** _

_**======================================** _

There was much silence after the small talk Yami and Kaiba had. After the talk, you gently held his hand as a silent assurance that everything will be okay. In return, he interlaced his fingers against yours and tightened the grip just a little. You could tell that the intense and stressed atmosphere slowly changed as time went by. From extreme levels went down a little at least to a point where you could talk without feeling as awkward as before. 

".....do you think they're alright?" You asked,

"They should be, there's no way Marik would hurt them." Yami responded, "...if he does though, he'll regret it." With that, he turned to Kaiba with a determined look, "As soon as we land, Mokuba will lead us to my friends. We'll break in and get them out." 

"Look Yugi, I brought you here so I am the one making the shots. Just so you know, I am only here to get my hands on the third Egyptian God Card. Then we'll find your friends." Kaiba retorted with a smirk, 

"Kaiba. Joey and Tea are in grave danger, we must save them immediately!" Yami growled back,

"Well sorry, Yugi. We have different priorities on our hands, so why not split up and go for what we find the most important?" Kaiba asked,

"...that's dumb." You narrowed your eyes,

"To you." Kaiba rolled his eyes, "But I am fine on my own. Besides, I am not the type for teamwork and all that. You know that as much as I do, Yugi." His eyes shot back to Yami, "I handled our double duel with those brothers on my own without any help, so as far as I know, you best stay out of my way Yugi because we're finished. I brought you here so you're on your own. I've done more than enough here, so sorry, I'm through." Kaiba retorted with a smirk.

Yami bit his lip and looked down. You could feel the frustration from Yami, as you yourself were frustrated yet you weren't even directly involved. 

"...Kaiba-" You called out to Kaiba 

"We have reached our destination, Mr. Kaiba." a speaker came through and interrupted you. 

"You guys, I think I see someone on the pier! And it kinda looks like Joey!" Mokuba spoke as he looked through the window. 

Both you and Yami's eyes flickered up and darted to the window. You leaned back to have Yami take a better look. Both you and Yami's eyes went to the pier and looked for someone on the pier, and sure enough, both of you found a boy standing still on the pier with thick blonde hair and white-blue striped shirt. 

"It is Joey!" Yami exclaimed, 

"And he's all alone." You mumbled, "....this could be a trap." 

You didn't like how he was just standing there, not moving one bit. It was as if he was waiting for Yami and not in a friendly manner. 

"...It could very well be one.." Yami nodded his head,

"Yugi, I think I've heard enough of you for one day." Kaiba rolled his eyes as the helicopter finally landed. The doors opened and Kaiba hopped off. Before you did the same, you felt your hand get squeezed and turned to see Yami looking at you with concern, 

"...(y/n)," Yami whispered, "...I want you to stay close with me." 

"....huh?" You blinked, 

"...I have a very bad feeling about this. I want to make sure you're safe, and for me, the only way for me to know that is if you're by my side. Who knows who could be around us as we confront Joey." 

"...if that's the case, wouldn't you think I should be with Kaiba?" You asked with an eyebrow raised. Yami gave you a silent dead-pan look for a few seconds,

"...Do you really think _Kaiba_ would be a _reliable_ person to be next to in situations like _this?_ " Yami asked,

It wasn't long before you gave the same look Yami gave as if you and Yami's minds clicked on one thing;

Kaiba isn't a very...reliable...person in matters like this. 

"...well alright." You shrugged your shoulders and hopped off the helicopter. Yami soon joined you afterward and immediately took your hand the moment he went on his feet.

 _It's okay,_ You thought to yourself, _don't think too much into this, I mean, it's for assurance that I'm here. Tea and Joey were kidnapped without him realizing, so maybe he wants to know I'm here or something_. 

But is it normal to hold hands like this? Especially for so long? 

. _..maybe's not the time to think like that,_ you decided internally, _..you have other things to think about._

You looked at Joey for the first time since when you watched him get kidnapped. You could already feel something was off. 

For one, where is his soul? It certainly doesn't feel like it's Joey. 

Thanks to the Seal and it's lovely desire for souls, you have the ability to look into a person's soul, but you only use it if you can tell something's off about someone. 

In this case, it felt like someone forcibly put strings through Joey's soul and is holding it hostage. Not to mention you felt some sort of Millenium power from him, which shouldn't be possible. You looked up to see Joey's brown, cheerful eyes go completely dull. 

Whoever this is, it isn't Joey. At least mentally. 

"Welcome~" Joey spoke, his voice sounding completely off, as it was cloaked over by a demonic entity.

"Joey!" Yami called out,

"Not exactly," 'Joey' replied, "Joey's not present. He's gone away at the moment." A smirk formed upon 'Joey's' lips as he spoke, 

"....Marik..." Yami growled.

The one who took Tea and Joey, you recalled and clenched your open fist. If Marik didn't possess Joey and was actually present, you would've thrown fists. 

"That's correct, and if you want your friends back you'll have to listen to me." 'Joey' nodded his head, 

"Joey, you've got to be in there." Yami called out,

"It's pointless. Now you listen to me, Yugi. We're gonna be playing under my rules. I'll release your stupid friends when I get what I want. Of course, since I want your puzzle and Egyptian God Card, there's only one way to do this; You and I are going to duel!" 'Joey' pulled out his duel disc,

"You're insane!" Yami clenched his teeth,

"It's okay to refuse, just know if you refuse your friends will be mine forever." 'Joey' shrugged his shoulders. You felt your hand being squeezed by Yami as he takes a step forward,

"Joey, you've got to listen to me! Your mind is being controlled by Marik, the same person you vowed to help me crush! Please, think about it! Think of our promise, of when you gave me your red-eyes! Marik knows he can't beat me in a duel so he is forcing you against me to gain my puzzle and Egyptian God Card. Joey, I know you're in there and I am going to help set you free. Marik's power is nothing compared to the power of our friendship." Yami spoke boldly, 

You felt your heart skip a beat, but of course, it was because of Yami's determination in that speech. His loyalty to his friends is extremely admirable. 

**_"....ew. Tell your heart to stop making noises."_**

You mentally groaned at the Seal. 

"...Joey isn't gonna listen to you unless you follow me." 'Joey' smirked and walked off. 

"Now hold on just a second, how do we know if you aren't leading us to a trap?" You asked 'Joey' with a sneer to receive nothing in return. You found this offensive and took another bold step, "If you don't answer then I won't let Yugi accompany you." 

"I don't think you have the power to control someone's choices, little girl." You heard another voice call out from behind, and turn to see Tea walking out of a ship,

"...Oh no....he's got Tea too.." Yami muttered. You growled and clenched your fists, 

"Surprise surprise! As well as I have Joey, I also put Tea under my control~!" 'Tea' blankly laughed, "You're now under my mercy! I've made your closest friends into your most dangerous enemies!" She continued as she followed 'Joey'. 

"...Tea-" You tried calling out Tea but Yami turned to you, 

"...let's go. Stay close." He spoke and moved his fingers to interlace with yours. With that, he quickly followed the possessed Joey and Tea to an area near the pier. It was a wooden square with the center being empty, the sea being is only filling. Truss was the barrier sea-wise and an anchor lay hanging in the center of it all. 

"...Mokuba." Yami called to the youngest Kaiba brother without making eye contact,

"Yeah?" Mokuba asked,

"...Take care of (y/n) while I handle this." Yami spoke and fully turned to you, "Promise me you'll be okay while I duel this." 

You slowly grew concerned over this, a feeling rose in your blood that this could wind up being one of the most dangerous duels Yami will be facing, but couldn't have anything be done to prevent it. "...I will...as long as you come back safe." You replied,

He stiffened. Yami stared at you as though he was trying to find proper words to respond with. 

"....I will." He nodded and pulled his hand away from you. For a split second, you felt like you wanted to hug him on the spot, but Yami was far out of reach and boldly walked towards the dangerous wooden arena. Mokuba approached you and held your hand tight,

"I'm sure he'll be alright." Mokuba spoke with a smile. You turned to him, smiled, then looked back at Yami. Strangely, Mokuba's hand wasn't warm enough compared to Yami's. 

"I accept this duel." Yami concluded, 

"Aha, then let us begin," 'Tea took out a pair of rusty metal handcuffs, "First off, put these on your ankles." 'Tea' threw one cuff at 'Joey' and the other to Yami. Once they were put on, you realized these handcuffs are tied with the hanging anchor,

"These handcuffs are with an anchor hanging above you. The loser has the total of 30 seconds of life before the anchor drops to the sea." 'Tea' explained,

"That's right, look down." 'Joey' looked down, "That box holds your life points and the key to your survival. The winner of the duel's box opens to reveal a key, this will release them from the cuffs. Remember, they will have 30 seconds to live."

"So that means the winner gets to live and the loser drowns.." You muttered, 

_**"Sounds fun."** _

"And don't think you can easily refuse, after all, within 60 minutes of the game the anchor will drop nonetheless!" 'Tea' confirmed,

"...If I win, will you release my friends?" Yami asked,

"Yes, if you can pull Joey out of the sea that is." 'Joey' smirked,

"But rest assured, your friends will be safe, after all, the one losing will be you and I will have my hands on your puzzle and Egyptian God Cards! Oh, and Kaiba," 'Tea' spoke as she sat on a chair that soon held her hostage, "Don't think that I forgot about you, once this is all over, my eyes will be on you. After all, I want all the Egyptian God cards."

"This is going too far!" Mokuba growled and looked at Seto, "You've got to stop them! Someone can get hurt! Not only that, but we can be targeted next!" 

"As head of this tournament, I must intervene and demand this duel to be put an end." Kaiba growled with clenched fists. You stared at Kaiba, you expected him to be the last person to ever say anything like that. It honestly surprised you, but at the same time, you would've said the same thing if you held a tournament like this, but long ago. 

"I don't think so, Kaiba." 'Tea' snapped as a crane construction motor drove over Tea's head. Your eye widened when you realized a crate was hanging over her.

"What the hell are you doing?!" You hissed, "What makes you think all of this is okay?!" 

"I decided to take things into measure and make sure things go my way. If anyone tries to interrupt this duel, this crater will fall over Tea as well. After all, the anchor won't be the only thing falling." 'Tea' explained. 

Kaiba growled, "...I can't stop this duel." 

"Now everyone is familiar, let's start with the duel. Oh...before I forget, we shouldn't let Tea miss this!" 'Tea' smirked and moments later her eyes closed and she lay limp.

"TEA!" Both you and Yami screamed. Moments later, Tea seemed to wake up with light in her eyes. You looked at her soul to find the strings long gone. 

Tea was back. 

"And also, before we begin, you aren't allowed to use your God cards at all. Put it on the floor Yugi."

"...I wasn't planning to use this card anyway. I keep my special cards in this patch." Yami took off a purple latch around his waist and put it on the floor, but not before sneaking a card in his deck. 

"Wait, what's going on?" Tea asked and made eye contact with you, "...(y/n)?! What are you doing here?!" 

"...pure coincidence." You bit your lip, "And with what's going on? Marik took over Joey and is forcing Yam- Yugi to duel to get his puzzle and Egyptian God Cards...whatever they are..." You mumbled,

"What?! Oh no...then Marik is the one Ishizu warned us about!" Tea gasped and stared at Kaiba, "Kaiba, you've got to stop this duel! If you don't, the whole world will be destroyed!" 

"We can't! It's too risky!" Mokuba answered,

"Hey lady!" A purple-haired guy screamed from the crane motor, "keep yer' mouth shut or else I am droppin' this thing!" 

"HEY." You screamed at the guy, blood fuming in your veins, "TOUCH THAT CRATER AND IM GONNA MAKE YOU REGRET IT." 

"oh yeah?!" The guy retorted with a smirk, "And whatcha gonna do? Hurt me?" 

"You're gonna remember those words when I get my hands on you!" You hissed with a glaring eye.

**_"Yes...that's it..."_ **

_I am not doing this for you._

**_"Doesn't matter."_**

You grit your teeth as the duel went on. You painfully watched how Yami was forced into dueling with Joey, your ears listening well to the cards being used in each move. It felt like hours despite real time showing minutes. Not even Kaiba nor Mokuba could say nor do much, the only thing that could be done is to watch the duel. 

Then you realized something changed as the game went, and you had a hunch Marik noticed too. Around midway of the duel, you no longer saw Yami dueling Joey.

It was Yugi. 

Your eye widened when you realized Yami was no longer there, why did Yugi take place instead? Where did Yami go? You felt yourself growing anxious, the hair behind your neck stood up. 

Yami could at least handle this situation a little more differently for survival, Yugi would probably find himself messing up because of his emotional attachment to Joey. This could serve as a problem- 

You felt your hand be squeezed, 

"I-It's going to be okay, (y/n)." Mokuba squeaked as he ended up holding your hand with both his hands. You blinked and looked at Mokuba to realize your whole body was shaking. He was holding your hands with both his to give you a sense of assurance. 

Bless this boy. You gulped, nodded, and looked back at the game. A round or two later and Yugi summoned the magic card for exchange and forcibly sent Joey to exchange cards with him. You watched Joey's dull eyes go wide and it seemed he was losing control, 

and by 'he', it was Marik. 

Your eye widened when you caught on Yugi's tactic as you recalled the card Yami slid in before the duel began, and when Yami told Joey about a card he gave. 

Maybe Yugi silently told Joey he has the card? Maybe there's more to the promise Joey gave, and Yugi's trying to pull Joey out? It seemed like it was working, cause Yugi soon used Joey's card in the next round. 

You were relived for the next few turns as Yugi seemed to be winning, but not before your anxiety spiked up as Yugi took off his necklace with the puzzle and gave it to Joey. 

_What is he doing? Is he mad?_

It got worse for you because Joey almost threw out a piece of the puzzle in the ocean. Your whole body froze as you heard nothing but the pounding of your heart and eye. You felt your cursed eye screaming and you could've sworn you almost activated it on Joey. 

You will not let anyone, not even Joey, do such a thing to Yami. 

**If he does that, you will never be able to see Yami again**

That thought made you want to grab Joey and forcibly- 

You watched Joey put down the piece and put it back with his whole body trembling. 

.....you fell to your knees. Mokuba hugged you for a bit, already knowing your mentality going haywire. 

_Yugi...._ you thought to yourself, _...whatever you're doing right now, you better not do ever again._

"...Yugi has only 1000 life points, if Joey makes another main attack, Yugi'll be finished!" Mokuba mumbled,

"That is if time doesn't run out first." Kaiba narrowed his eyes. 

Oh shit you forgot about the time limit, if the game isn't finished before an hour they'll both drown. 

The sound of a car temporarily interrupted your thoughts as you turned over to see Tristan, Mai, and 2 other people you have never met before. 

That didn't matter to you at this point, the only thing you paid attention to was the duel. It seemed Kaiba noticed that and walked next to you and blocked Tristan or anyone else from going near you. There was only one time that Tristan asked about you, but Mokuba came in and spoke for you. 

"(y/n) is really nervous about this duel, she's been watching closely this whole time I doubt she'll hear any of us at this point." He calmly spoke. 

Your eye switched from the clock over to the duel, they had little more than 2 minutes and so far things aren't looking good for the both of them. It'll be a miracle if something good were to happen-

Just as you thought that, you saw the strings in Joey's soul get ripped out. 

Joey regained control on his own. 

This somehow put your heart at ease, now there isn't much to worry about with Yami-

Wait, why are you so worried about Yami? Shouldn't you be worried about Joey and Yugi? 

You finally got to your feet and turned to Tea, from which the guy who was in charge of the motor came out with a wide grin and a third eye on his forehead. 

You gasped to see the man about to press the button to seal Tea's fate but Kaiba sliced a card through the man's hand causing him to drop the button to crop the crate. 

You used your legs and ran towards Tea but was soon stopped by the man.

"I d-don't think so! You've been prattling on for too long!" You heard Marik scream through the man as he lunged forward for an attack, 

_**"That's it...come here-"**_ you felt your eye pounding as the seal prepared to take another one-

"I don't think so!" Kaiba screamed and punched the man from behind you. Kaiba lunged and kicked him to the ground as a helicopter was used to bring down Marik's trap.

The seal didn't like that.

You could tell, your back was screaming and so was your eye.

You grabbed your eye as it pounded, bolted to Tea, and broke her free from the chair. 

"Th-Thanks...b-but a-are you alright?" Tea asked as she noticed your eye was being held. 

"Y...Yeah...uh...." You flinched as your eye got worse, "I...I have to go..." 

"What?" Tristan asked, "Is something wrong?" 

"N-No.." You shook your head, "It's just...I have....uh...." You tried to find some excuse, "...pain.." 

"Pain? Where?" Mokuba asked, "We can take care of-"

"No!" you shook your head, "Stay...stay with Yugi for the time being, I'll...I'll join you guys later." You rose to your feet and quickly took off, with the last thing you saw was Yugi talking to a very confused and shocked Joey. 

You practically ran over somewhere to sit and go through the pain. The seal never spoke, it didn't need to speak to show how mad it was knowing it missed a chance to have a nice meal. It merely showed its anger by making your back and eye hurt so much you could cry. 

You didn't though, you simply sat behind a box, laid on the floor in a fetus-position, and waited for it to go away.

It's just your mind wouldn't let you rest and think straight, you ended up thinking non-stop about the duel between Yugi and Joey. You were terrified, what if it was the last time on seeing Yami? 

The pain was the longest pain you've ever endured, it was almost to a point where you started to whimper in pain. 

You watched the sunset with pain all over you, it was as if the Seal was eating you instead of the soul of that man. 

Finally, you felt the pain slowly go away, and you were able to sit up and think properly. Surely by now, the duel would be over but you had no idea what the outcome was. You were terrified to get up and see what had happened, whose box was open. You were even terrified to ask Kaiba or anyone else on who won and who....

You didn't want to think about that. 

You slowly got up, you should probably think about how to leave the pier at the moment, given how you don't even know where you are- 

"(y/n)." you heard your name being called out by a familiar voice from behind you. You silently gasped and covered your mouth upon recognizing that voice. You'd remember such a deep voice, it only belongs to one person. You turned around and prayed to anyone up there you weren't just hearing things.

You weren't.

There he was, standing before you with a smile on his face. 

For the first time all day your nerves relaxed, your whole body shook from finally being able to rest for a second. 

You thought you would never see him again. You ran past the boxes towards him, who had his arms open once more. 

You practically jumped in Yami's arms, so relieved that he was alright and safe. And knowing with his warm smile,

Joey and everyone else is too. 

_**==============================================** _

**_~Ending; ~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	17. Season 2; Episode 6

_**~Opening; ~ ** _

_**========================================** _

Without any hesitation or thinking, you ran to Yami's arms in absolute relief and happiness. He seemed to take it well, as he is the one who opened his arms in the first place and wrapped his arms around you moments after. 

"Sorry we worried you, (y/n)." Yami apologized as he tightened the embrace just a little. 

You never felt so much relief in so long you were almost alienated at the fact you ever felt this way. 

"You really scared me there, not gonna lie." Your voice managed to speak out and you heard Yami laugh,

"Yeah, I figured as much," He nodded and pulled you back, "Are you alright? Last I heard from Mokuba you had severe pain." 

"Oh.." You blinked and realized what he had meant. Your stomach dropped and your eye grew wide; he was referring to when the Seal literally malfunctioned because it didn't get what it wanted-

"Oh...Oh yeah I am fine! Totally!" You lied, "I...uh...packed painkillers! Darn...these back pains..." You laughed as you snapped your fingers to form hand-guns. "...Took them once I came over here and waited for the pain to go like a....a bazooka. Yeah. A bazooka." 

Yami raised an eyebrow,

"Is that right?" 

"Yes. Totally." 

"And...may I ask, what is a bazooka?" Yami asked, 

"you...you don't know what a bazooka is?" You blinked to watch him shake his head,

"No. What is it?" 

"It's like....a giant explosive gun..." You tried to explain what a bazooka is. Wow, here you are, talking with some ancient spirit about a modern gun - almost like the duel and anxiety you had never existed-

**Oh God, the duel.**

You stopped talking and stared at the floor as you remembered how you were throughout the duel. You never talked to anyone, not even Mokuba. You basically ignored everyone and stared at the duel- 

_how selfish_ you thought to yourself, 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Yami asked, "...Is it that I asked too many questions about this explosive thing?" 

"No...." You shook your head lightly and bit your lip, now feeling guilty for treating everyone like that. "...s-sorry for...uh...ignoring your friends....I want to apologize to both of you for that." 

"What?" Yami blinked, "You ignored them?" 

"Yeah.." Your teeth practically bit through your lip, "...I...I did...but I didn't mean to...I was really scared that....uh...Marik would take your puzzle..." Your fists clenched as your heart started to race, 

"...Yugi wants me to tell you it's alright." Yami spoke, "And honestly it's alright from me too, it's very hard to socialize when you're in a drastic situation like what Yugi's been through recently. I am sure everyone understands." He consoled as he patted your back, warmth went down your spine and you felt a little more confident. 

That isn't weird at all...

"....you and your consolements.." You gave a tiny smile, "...but the least I can do is apologize to everyone..." You took a deep breath to calm your beating heart and looked at Yami, "I mean, you aren't really the one directly involved with me and your friends n stuff..." 

"That's true..." Yami chuckled and looked up with a big sigh, "That sucks..."

"How?" You tilted your head in confusion,

"I actually wanted to stay with you alone longer..." Yami admitted, 

Did....did your ears hear correctly? 

Your face turned red at his response, "U...Uh...w...wouldn't it be best if we went back to the others? They would get worr- Yeah they'd get worried!" You stuttered only to hear Yami hum in thought, 

"I agree on that, but, there has to be one little favor I need if we're gonna go." Yami's head went down and his crimson eyes met yours, "If we're gonna go, you're gonna come with me to the finals." 

Wait what- Oh shoot the finals 

**OH SHOOT THE TOURNAMENT.**

"Forgot the tournament existed already?" Yami laughed, "Figured, have you been able to duel recently?" 

Your heart stopped as you practically flinched, "OH SHOOT I HAVEN'T." You yelped and covered your mouth. 

"Oh?" You could've sworn you saw his eyebrow quirk as he leaned closer to you with an interested look on his face, "Mind if I could follow you around to watch?" 

You blinked, "...with everyone else, right?"

"......nope. Just you and me." Yami smirked. Your mouth dropped even farther than before - what is he saying?! 

"U...Uh...didn't you just say we're heading back-"

"Honestly, I'd rather watch you with no one around - more 'me' time with Yugi and no one to butt in on anything." Yami rolled his eyes and pulls out his phone, "Plus, I can easily tell my friends to continue dueling without me."

By the gods it's like watching Kaiba say "I have money I don't care". How is it that this ancient spirit has so much trust in you? You barely know the guy...you think...? 

"Uhm....am I the only one trying to figure out why you would go with some girl you just met over the friends you've made for the past like, I don't know how long?" You asked once more, you felt like you needed to get some form of answer out of him. In a way, Yami nor Yugi never responded to your question about how he's so comfortable with you compared to everyone else. 

"I've been always wanting to watch you duel, (y/n)." Yami responded, "And also I am prepared for the finals, so what's the point?" 

"And you've talked with your friends about this before coming to me, right?" You asked with an eyebrow raised, 

"...(y/n)," Yami sighed and smiled at you, "You aren't some girl I just met, you're a close friend that I haven't seen duel at least once." He answered, and before you had any time to react, Yugi was staring at you with the same verklemped look on his face. It was silent for about a minute or so before Yugi spoke,

"To be fair..." Yugi cleared his throat, "...I never heard Yami say that too." He said as he opened his phone, "Welp...gonna tell the gang I'll be with you then!" 

"Wait- hold -" You managed to grasp reality and stared Yugi down, "I mean...this is _your_ body, okay? Your body, your choice - you don't have to do it if you don't want to-" 

Yugi laughs in response, "Oh come on, I have to admit, I am just as curious as Yami - I do want to see you duel so I can help you reach the finals, even with me if the chance arises in the future!" 

_I'm sorry, duel with the King of Games?!_

"You're too optimistic." Your eyebrows scrunched as Yugi finished typing to his friends and soon closed his phone.

"Welp, the slots for the finals aren't gonna stay empty forever! Let's go let's go!" With that, Yugi took your hand and pulled you out of there to get all your chips. 

And you actually did. 

It took probably less than 30 minutes to get the chips you need; for some strange miracle, the chips you needed were from either newbies or people with such a big ego they didn't focus on strategies. Thankfully, cause of you dueling before all this chaos happened, it further benefitted you from getting your hands on all the chips. Well, there were a few that caused some trouble with you, but you managed to outthink them and continue gathering for your final collection. Keep in mind, you did all that while repressing the urge to let the Seal eat their soul. Thankfully there aren't any cards that have this Seal or you're in big trouble. 

You laughed internally, no way, right? That'd be ironic. 

As you dueled and kicked practically anyone's butt, you noticed how focused Yugi. Heck, you would even say he was entranced with you when you dueled. At certain moves you'd make, Yugi would seem to be talking to someone and would get really excited for you and appear to talk more to whoever it was.

You had a feeling you knew what it was but you didn't want to get your hopes high or anything. Though, it wasn't long before you managed to get your hands on all the chips and put them together with Yugi to determine where the finals are located at. As you walked, you felt some sort of presence wandering about you. You shrugged it off as you were focused on Yugi, who is currently excited for you. 

"YES!" Yugi cheered with pure delight as he walked with you over to the location. "(y/n), you're a really good duelist!" 

"you think so?" You asked and watched Yugi frown,

"Of course! You didn't get those chips because they willingly gave it to you!! Where did you learn Duel Monsters anyway?" Yugi asked,

"Oh..." You blinked and looked down, "...my grandfather taught me actually."

"He did?" 

"Yeah, for as long as I can remember actually...." You tied your hands behind your back, "Almost like I've dueled my entire life, aha." You giggled to yourself,

"So I am not the only one who has some form of personal connection to Duel Monsters?!" Yugi gasped and his eyes glistened, 

"You have personal connections with the game too?!" You gasped as Yugi laughed with excitement, 

"Heck yeah I do! Duel Monsters is amazing! I get to learn so much about the cards, like the traps, and the strategies; like I could talk for _hours_ about it-" He paused and looked down, "...but....uh...no one would really listen."

"Not even..." You tried thinking of his name then it clicked, "...Not even Joey or Tristan?" 

"Believe it or not, when I first met Joey and Tristan they actually bullied me about it." Yugi laughed nervously, "Joey even almost threw the last piece of the Millenium Puzzle out the window-"

"HE DID WHAT?!" You gasped and stared at Yugi in shock,

"But-" Yugi continued, "Joey saved my life from a gang that a teacher was involved with...but that was after I stood up for Joey cause he was the original guy they were after-" 

"Holy - when I see you three together I didn't think of this sort of origin history.." You mumbled as Yugi laughed,

"Right?"

"What about Tea?" You asked, "How did you meet her?"

"Oh, she scared off Joey and Tristan once and stuck by my side...that's basically it." Yugi shrugged,

"So that's why there are times when they don't get along..." You sneered as Yugi laughed,

"Nah, that's just how they are! Even so, now they are wonderful friends of mine, and yours too!" Yugi said with a gleeful and genuine smile. 

oh that, that struck something in you.

 ** _"Don't get too cocky, friends are temporary, especially with me here with you~"_**

Your eye slowly lost its spark, of course you knew that. You just didn't want to accept it. 

As if timing couldn't get any better, before Yugi noticed you seem to lose happiness, his phone buzzed. Yugi blinked and pulled out his phone and smiled, "speaking of Tea!" He pressed answer to the call and put it on speaker, "Hey Tea! What's up?" 

_"Yugi, you wouldn't believe what just happened!"_ Tea spoke through the phone, _"We dueled with someone who claimed to be Mai's boyfriend! Well, Joey did...but even so we still met him!"_

"What in the- Mai has a boyfriend?" You gasped as Yugi's mouth dropped. Who knew out of all the people around the world; Mai had a boyfriend.

 _"Oh..(y/n)'s there..."_ Tea's voice shifted, _"...Yugi, why did you want to go with (y/n) anyway?_ " Tea asked, now uncomfortable. You weren't dumb, you could tell.

_**She probably hates you.** _

"Oh Tea, you wouldn't believe it!" Yugi's eyes practically sparkled, "You should've seen (y/n) duel! SHE'S AMAZING! Like, HOLY COW! She managed to get all the chips in about 30 minutes!!" 

_"30 MINUTES?!"_ Tea shockingly gasped,

"YUP!" Yugi nods viciously, 

_"...but...you just met her...how could you..."_ It was a murmur only you catched before Yugi spoke, 

"(Y/n) and I are gonna be heading to the finals location now, so we'll see you guys soon!" Yugi said gleefully as he hung up the phone and slid it back in his pocket. 

"You know, (y/n)," Yugi smiled, "Yami has never been so active before..."

Yami? You perked up and looked at him to see him staring at you, "...in what way?" You asked,

"I mean, right now he's floating around you, watching your deck and heck, even you right now~" Yugi sneered with a sly smirk. 

Wh- 

So that's the presence you've been feeling - 

Your face turned red and pure embarrassment came over you, "Uh..." You gulped, how long has he been staring? Yugi suddenly bursts into laughter which startled you,

"Now...now Yami's embarrassed!" Yugi laughs to the point where tears come out of his eyes. He soon wipes them and continues walking with the occasional coughs. 

"...(y/n)," Yugi sighed,

"Mhm?" You responded, now slightly calm,

"...you know, it's not common I leave my friends be and hang with some 'girl I just met'," Yugi quoted those words, "It's really fun and adventurous being with you, and you're a friend to me. Heck, I never saw anyone as invested in you as Yam-" 

As if you blinked, you saw Yami standing next to you, his eyes wide and his cheeks red. 

"...Yami-"

"WOW AHAHAHAH. LOOK AT THAT." Yami pointed ahead, "THE LOCATION IS UP AHEAD. LET'S GO." He walked quickly over to the location. 

You watched him leave like a child. 

Which you found adorable as you quietly strolled behind Yami. 

**_================================================_ **

**_I've decided to focus on the plot more than the duels._ **

**_I tried looking into the rules but I got so lo s t -_ **

**_~Ending; ~ _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	18. Season 2; Episode 7

**_~Opening; ~_ **

**_============================================_ **

"Is this really it?" You asked as you walked into the giant stadium that looked to be still under construction. 

"I guess so, I think I see Kaiba up ahead," Yami peered ahead to see the white-caped man standing with authority over 2 security guards. As if he sensed you and Yami, he immediately spoke to the guards and moments later, all the lights turned on. The overwhelming light made you close your eye as you tried to adjust to the sudden change in brightness. 

"Wow...certainly acts like Kaiba too." You mumbled, 

"Ah, it's just Yugi and (y/n)." Kaiba huffed as he turned to the both of you, "Not surprised you both would end up here." 

"Who else would it be?" You asked,

"I thought I heard something around here so I had the guards turn on all the lights. Turns out it's just you two." Kaiba responded and looked at you, "I assume you have all the location cards?"

"That's why I ended up here." You frowned, 

"Hand them over." A guard came forward and both you and Yami pulled out the cards. The guard took them and gave you and Yami an identification card.

"Here are your ID's. Congratulations, you two are officially battle city finalists. Please keep these cards with you at all times." The guard congratulated you and Yami with an emotionless stare. 

"YAY!" Mokuba cheered as he ran to you, "I knew you'd pull it off!" 

"Why wouldn't I?" You smirked and ruffled Mokuba's hair. 

"I hope everyone else makes it here.." Yami stared at his identification card as he bit his lip. 

"They will," You patted Yami's back, "Come on, they basically have all the cards. Tea told you that right?" 

Yami smiled at you and nodded, "Yeah, she did." 

Mokuba smirked, "So, tell me, (y/n), Yugi.." He twiddled his fingers with his smirk growing, "how was your date?" 

There was a long pause as Yami immediately covered his red-turning face and looked away. Your face heated up real quick as you bit your lip,

"Th...There was no date though..." You assured, 

"You suuureee?" Mokuba hummed with his smirk getting wider, "Cause it's not like Yugi to leave his friends for a girl~" 

Yami's whole body turned around, his back now facing Mokuba. You covered your face as your heart bumped up like a racing car. 

"Y....y...yeah....h-he just wanted to a...accompany me while I got the chips..." You nodded, "R...right Ya- Yugi..?" 

"Y...Yeah..." Yami cleared his throat without turning, "I only accompanied her...no date...none whatsoever." 

"Mhmmmmm, right, and Seto doesn't care about me." Mokuba playfully rolled his eyes and elbowed you with a wink. 

"Mokuba stop playing around. We have more people coming." Seto interrupted as he watched a familiar group of people walk in. 

"It's Tea and everyone else." Mokuba leaned to see who it was as Tea practically ran over to Yami. 

"Yugi! It's so good to see- what happened?! Why are you so red?!" Tea shouted out of worry as Joey, Tristan, and a pretty brunette girl walked over to you. 

"Hey (y/n)! I heard from Yugi that ya duel pretty- hey what happened?" Joey blinked when he noticed your red face.

"What?" You turned your head,

"Your face is a lil' red." Joey leaned closer to get a better look at you,

"Ahhhh I see what's going on here," Mai came in with a smirk, "So it wasn't just a whole 'observation' move with (y/n) now was it Yugi~?" 

You let out a squeak and turned to Mai, "For the gods' sake! I-It wasn't anything like that!" 

Yami didn't say a word, he simply covered his face with his hands as Tea blankly stared at you. 

It appeared to have clicked with Joey too because he smirked at Yami, "Aaaaaa, I see what's goin' on." 

"Yup," Tristan smirked with Joey as he looked between you and Yami. 

"Yugi, I'm a bit jealous not gonna lie," Joey chuckled, "I mean, I woulda done da same if I met a girl like (y/n)." 

"Joey!" The brunette girl next to him gasped. 

"Whaattt? Just sayin'." Joey laughed at the girl as you stared at the new girl. You weren't gonna lie, she does look pretty - she wore a small pink jacket with blue shorts. Joey seemed to notice and smiled,

"Ah, that's right, (y/n) let me formally introduce you to my sister, Serenity." Joey referred to the girl next to him, 

"Ah!" It clicked when you realized it was the same girl Joey fought for back at Pegasus' Island, "Nice to meet you." 

"Likewise!" Serenity smiled at you and gave a tiny bow. 

"(y/n)." You heard Tea call you. You turned to see her staring at you like an eagle, 

"...Yes?" You blinked,

"....How were the duels?" Tea asked, "Were they easy for you?" 

"Oh...yeah." You nodded, "Why?"

"And that's all you did?" Tea asked,

"Tea, why you gotta be all up in their business?!" Joey came forward with a frown, "Even if Yugi did somethin' with (y/n) it shouldn't botha ya." 

"Yeah," A spiky-black haired dude came forward, "Besides, I'd agree with Joey on this one - if I had the chance I would've asked out someone as pretty as (y/n)." 

"....and you are?" You bluntly asked the boy. He blinked and laughed,

"Figured. Name's Duke Devlin." Duke introduced himself, "One of Yugi's friends...well, now I am." 

" _Wh-_ " Tea turned red, "I-It's not like I am all up in Yugi's business or anything!" 

"...May I see your locator cards?" The same guard who took yours and Yami's card came forward, "...Sorry to interrupt this...small fiasco." 

"It's a misunderstanding." You quietly corrected the guard as Joey and Mai gave the guard their locator cards. 

"I think it's best to stop this 'misunderstanding' then because someone else is coming now." Kaiba bluntly responded as he stared at the entranceway. Everyone soon stopped with the small fiasco and turned towards the entrance hall in silence. Kaiba was right, someone was on their way here. 

"...I have a bad feeling about this," You heard Yugi now speak and turned to him. Now you kinda felt bad for Yami, he was unnecessarily put under the light like that. 

"Ya think it is that evil creep Marik?" Joey seethed as he walked in front of Serenity. 

"It must be one of the finalists," Yugi answered as a tanned man walked into view. He seemed to like the color purple as he wore a purple crop top with beige pants. His ears had golden earrings as so did his crop top and his purple eyes were shining in the light. 

You took a step back when he entered the field, there's something off about him. 

"Wait a minute!" Joey blinked and ran over to the man, as so did Tea, "It's Namu!" 

"yeah! Namu thank you for saving Bakura's life!" Tea thanked with a warm smile,

"Glad I could help. Where's Bakura now?" Namu asked,

"Resting in the hospital." Tea responded,

"Excellent! I'll do anything to help someone in need!" Namu spoke with glee and turned to Joey to talk with him. 

Who the hell is this guy and why is he reeking in malice? 

"...Who is this?" You asked Yugi,

"No clue." Yugi shrugged and looked at you, "I overheard the name Namu though." 

"Same." You nodded, as Yugi walked over to Tea and Joey. 

"Yugi, this is our friend Namu, he's the one who saved Bakura's life and he's also a Battle City Finalist!" Tea gleefully introduced.

 ** _"Notice how she's all friendly at Namu and they'd just met."_** The seal murmured. You could practically feel it smirking down on you, **_"Shows how distorted and how much of an outsider you really are."_**

_Shut up._

_**"You know I'm right."**_

"...who is this nice lady?" Namu's question interrupted your little internal discussion,

"Oh! This is (y/n)! She's a really good friend of mine!" Yugi ran to you and stood next to you gleefully, "She is a really good duelist and a finalist like us!" 

Your eye noticed another person walking in the field and you leaned over to see a familiar white-haired boy limping over. 

"Uh....pardon me interrupting, but isn't that Bakura?" You pointed out as everyone turned over and gasped,

"Bakura?! What are you doing here?!" Yugi asked as he ran over to check on Bakura.

"Bakura ya should really get back to the hospital! How is it that they let you out so soon?!" Joey asked,

"Guys, I'm fine, really." Bakura laughed. 

Either you're going nuts or Bakura is the same as Namu. It's almost like how he was back at Pegasus' tourna- 

_Ah shit_. You bit your lip and narrowed your eye, _he's the one with the Millenium Ring_. 

**_"Things just got interesting. 3 Millenium Items and 3 Egyptian God Cards in one place."_ **

_What-_

Feeling someone else approach the stadium, you turned to see a big guy covered in a purple cloak. Sitting in the hood appeared to be an Egyptian Eye, as the side of his face showed Egyptian writing. 

_'He looks like some Egyptian fanboy...'_ You thought to yourself,

"....This guy looks familiar...and so does that smug look on his face." Joey sneered, 

"..State your name." Kaiba growled,

"...My name is Marik." The man introduced himself. 

_So that's the big guy?_ You blinked and turned to Namu, _then who is this? An apprentice or some sort?_

"I'll kick your stinkin' butt Marik!" Joey growled 

"Fool, you're no match for me." 

"I should disqualify you for kidnapping my brother, but you have something that I want. Just so you know when this is all over your Egyptian God Card will be mine." Kaiba seethed, 

"Doesn't look like you have too many friends here tattoo-face!" Mokuba growled, 

"Alright, listen up. 8 of 9 finalists are here so I am going to announce this from now. Although your locator cards lead you here, this is not the place where the finals will be at." A guard spoke up,

"The actual place should be arriving soon." The other spoke. 

"What, are we gonna be in the air or something?" You asked and turned to Kaiba, who smirked at you. 

"...Oh my various gods." You stared at him in shock, "...you _didn't._ " 

"I did." Kaiba nodded his head as his smirk grew. Moments later, all the lights went up so everyone could see the giant blimp hovering over. You looked at and laughed,

"Rich boy." You teased, 

"You're one to talk." Kaiba raised an eyebrow. 

"Wait, we're dueling in the sky?!" Yugi gasped,

"Mhm! 4,000 feet up to be exact!" Mokuba chirped in reply as the entrance to the blimp opened. 

"We will depart as soon as the 9th duelist arrives. Climb aboard and watch your step." A guard spoke as he stood by one side of the entrance. 

"Ah, before I forget." Kaiba turned to you, "Your grandfather helped me with this tournament, so as gratitude for that, your room will be different from everyone else's." He gave you a golden card. 

"Wait Papa helped?" You blinked as you took the card. Kaiba nodded, "I will be personally escorting you to your room, unlike the others."

"WHAT?" Joey gasped, "Wait a minute - (y/n), your grandfather was involved?!" 

"To be fair, I didn't know too." you shrugged, "But thanks, Kaiba." 

"Wait, hold on." Mai came forward with a frown, "Why does (y/n) get better treatment?" 

"It's as I said. Gratitude." Kaiba responded,

"So if (y/n) didn't make it, what would you have done with the room?" Mai asked,

"you talk like (y/n) came here out of luck." Kaiba sneered, "Just so you know, I have dueled (y/n) before. She is a clever duelist, I am not surprised that she made it this far within such a short time." 

Mai frowned and looked at you, "Is that right?" 

"I can agree with Kaiba on that." Yugi nodded, "(Y/n) really knows how to play, especially if she knows how you play!" 

You couldn't help but blush at how these 2 guys are talking about how you duel, "Oh stop it you two." You looked away. 

"Oh, and before I forget." Kaiba turned to Tea, Tristan, Serenity, and Duke, "I have a feeling you want to come with us despite not being duelists, right?" 

"Is that wrong?" Duke asked,

"I want to see my brother duel. S-So if that's okay with you.." Serenity spoke up.

"Don't care. Go ahead." Kaiba bluntly responded, "Now get in the blimp. (Y/n), with me." Kaiba instructed as he had everyone inside the blimp. 5 minutes go by and the blimp starts to ascend to the sky. 

"Yugi," Kaiba turned to Yugi, "I heard that not once you cast your Egyptian God Card since you won it, so I best advice that would change in this final. It's my game Yugi, I want that card. I better see it during the finals so I get to know what I am going to be having my hands on. Just so you know, once I have all the Egyptian God Cards my deck will be unstoppable and I will forever be the King of Games. So prepare to surrender your Slifer the Sky Dragon." Kaiba hissed and turned to Joey, "And as for you, I heard monkeys can't fly, so you better scrap for survival in the finals." He smirked and turned to you, "let's go, (y/n)." 

Blinking at Kaiba's egotistical monologue, you mouthed an apology to Yugi and especially to Joey as you followed Kaiba down the halls and over by the first-class quarters. With one swipe of the card, the door opened and you walked in your massive room. 

Your room had a whole bar, 2 couches, a kitchen that would fit in an apartment, a walk-in bathroom and closet, and a king-sized bed.

"...Holy shit Kaiba...you popped off." You gasped as you covered your mouth.

"And to prevent any cheating, there's a place where you can put your deck safely without anyone messing it up." Kaiba pointed to the locked chest with at least 2 passcodes. "You can create your own numerical code for both so be sure to remember it. There's also a radio near the front door, press the green button to answer the guards that may come to inform you of guests, and press the red button to unlock the door." 

"Damn Kaiba....I-I don't think I-"

"Before you say you don't deserve this, remember both your grandfather and myself planned this for you. We knew you were going to end up in the finals one way or another, and your grandfather and I are in close ties. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be able to reach this far. So in short, yes, you do deserve this." Kaiba spoke and turned to leave, "You will be called in shortly, so adjust quickly." 

With that, he left. 

You simply stood in one place, slowly trying to take in this huge room that's all to yourself. How the hell did you even make it here? It literally looks like a rich-ass apartment in here! 

"Miss (Y/n)?" Someone over some radio spoke out. You let out a yelp and turned to see the radio go off next to the door. You stumbled over to the radio and pressed the green button, 

"Y...Yes?" 

"Yugi wants to visit. Permission for him to come?" 

"Y-Yes." You nodded and pressed the red button almost immediately. Opening the door, you stepped out to see Yugi walk down the hall in awe.

"Both of you." You referred to both Yugi and Yami, "I don't know what the hell I did to end up here." You spoke with both fear and confusion that made Yugi laugh,

"Oh come on, (y/n), what did they do to your place?" Yugi asked as he peeped in and gasped loudly, " _HOLY SHIT_ (Y/N) ITS LIKE A LITERAL APARTMENT!" 

_"EXACTLY."_ You yelped, "WHAT IN THE GODS NAMES HAVE I DONE?!" 

"Man you're lucky!" Yugi whistled as he ran to the couches and jumped on them, "This is _so_ nice compared to my room! It's just a few chairs, a table, mini-kitchen, and a smaller bed than yours!" 

"I'd rather have that, to be honest." You frowned as you sat across from him, "This is too much!" 

"All this cause your grandpa was involved with the tournament." Yugi looked around your room in awe then turned to you, "I'd say it's a great advantage! But I do understand how overwhelmed you are, Yami and I are too but not the same way you are." 

"Oh yeah, with the whole saving the world thing right?" You blinked and watched Yugi nod,

"It's a whole race to get our hands on the Egyptian God Cards, and Yami and I gotta save the world with them." Yugi briefly summarized, "I don't know what we're gonna get ourselves into, but I know for sure Marik is the one responsible for this."

"Speaking of..." You narrowed your eye, "...Do you really think that the big guy is Marik?" 

"How is he not?" Yugi asked with his head tilted, 

"...I'm getting bad vibes from the other guy, Namu." You said as Yugi gasped,

"Namu? But he looks so nice-"

"So does Bakura but he has some evil spirit with him doesn't he?" You crossed your arms as the Millenium Puzzle had the familiar bright light and the next thing you knew Yami was sitting in front of you.

"So you sensed it too?" Yami asked as he crossed his arms,

"The whole malice surrounding Bakura?" You raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, I did. He holds the same aura as Namu." 

"Are you saying that Namu is actually Marik?" Yami asked,

"Either that or he's some evil apprentice for Marik. Both of them have that aura but Namu's a little more... at the extreme level I would say." You shrugged your shoulders, 

"So both Namu and Bakura aren't as gentle nor nice as they appear to be then, right?" Yami sighed and leaned against the couch, "Hahhh, this is gonna be a wreck." 

"Tell me about it." You rolled your eyes as Yami pulled out his deck, 

"It's sort of strange, (y/n)." Yami laughed a bit as he pulled out a card, "Usually I would be rather nervous or anxious around this time, especially with the whole prophecy I have to do." 

"Well, obviously." You nodded, "Can't be helped when you're burdened with the fate of the entire world." 

"Yeah, true," Yami sighed as he looked at you, "But being with you makes me feel a little better." 

"Oh.." You blinked and looked down on your lap, your cheeks slightly turning pink, "...th...thanks.." 

"Attention duelists, please exit your rooms and head to the main quarter. It's time to discuss and start our first duel." A speaker came from the ceiling of your room. Yami looked up, sighed, then stood to stretch. He put his deck in his pocket and looked at you,

"Well, let's go save the world and duel, (y/n)." Yami reached his hand out for you to take it. Blinking, you nodded and took his hand. After he pulled you up, he simply walked you out of your room with his hand with yours. However, after both you and Yami exited the room, he turned to you with a slightly pink face,

"...(y/n), is it alright if we link arms?" Yami asked, "...for some reason Yugi keeps pressuring me to do it." 

You had a feeling Yugi was screaming at Yami because he physically flinched after saying that. You would've said no for obvious reasons, but for some reason you were used to Yami being more affectionate than Yugi. 

"I-I don't mind." You shrugged, "But that's if you're okay with it, not because Yugi wants it-" 

Yami slowly wrapped his arm around yours, "I never said I didn't." 

With your face a little red, you walked with Yami down the hall and over to the quarter. There was a 30-second silence before you spoke up,

"This isn't weird to you or anything?" You asked, looking at Yami, 

"With what?" Yami asked,

"The whole saving the world thing?" 

"I'm honestly used to that sort of extreme thing." Yami rolled his eyes, "And how about you, (y/n)? Hanging around with an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh isn't weird to you?" 

"Oh," You blinked and sighed, "Nah, not weird."

"How?" Yami laughed, "Even Tea and the others found it a little strange at first." 

"Guess everyone's a bit different," You shrugged your shoulders then looked at Yami, "How did everyone find out anyway?" 

"Oof," Yami's eyes brightened a bit, "It's a huge story actually. At first, Yugi didn't even know about me until Bakura came along and had Yugi duel a Shadow game." 

"A shadow game?" You tilted your head as Yami put his hands in his pockets - his arm still around yours, 

"Yes, it involves the Shadow realm. In most cases when you lose, your soul is taken, but not the time I dueled. Bakura had the very same intention...in a way. He actually knew that I would take over most of the duels and had Yugi and the others take the place of their favorite cards," Yami explained, "So that's how everyone got the idea that there was 'Another Yugi' as they put it." He used his free hand to quote., "Since then, slowly everyone realized I was in the puzzle, and now they all accepted me as a friend as much as Yugi has, including you." 

"Seems like an adventure then huh?" You raised an eyebrow, 

"Indeed, a weird mismatched one. You should've been there, (y/n)." Yami smiled, "It would've been much more entertaining, especially with your keen senses." 

"My keen senses?" You blinked and watched him nod, 

"You're really something out of this world, (y/n). I'd love to spend more time with you to know you a little more, for I feel there's something more to us than we thought." Yami explained with a huge sigh, "I just wish that this evil I've once stopped before would just leave." 

You bit your lip and looked down, you honestly felt bad for him. He's stuck with such an extreme prophecy. 

"...Well, I'll try my best to be with you, well, both of you." You shrugged as Yami looked at you. 

"Thank you for that, (y/n). You're really kind." You could've sworn you saw his cheeks a little pink as he said that but you were so distracted by his warm smile. It honestly soothed your heart a little more, something you never thought would happen. As you and Yami were reaching the room where everyone else was, a distant roar was heard from the back of your ear. It was a very distant one like a dragon was calling out to you. You stopped walking and quickly turned around to find the source of that roar, it sounded almost familiar to you. 

"Hm? Is something wrong?" Yami asked as he looked at you. 

"...Did you hear some roar?" You asked 

"A roar?" Yami blinked and looked down the hall, "...No, I haven't." 

"It sounded like some dragon." You scanned the hall to find nothing that could even sound similar to the roar you heard. 

"I didn't hear anything like that." Yami's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at you in concern, 

_**"Magno vocat vocasti Leviathan. Tempus est essentia."** _

**_=============================================_ **

**_*The Great Leviathan is calling. Time is of the essence_ **

**_I had to make sure Silfer was Silfer the Sky Dragon cause I'm so used to calling it Slifer the Executive Producer_ **

**_thanks LittleKuriboh :/_ **

**_~Ending; ~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	19. Season 2; Episode 8

**_~Opening; ~ _ **

**_===============================================_ **

"What do you mean Yugi's not with you guys?" Mai asked with a surprised look on her face, "I figured he'd be with you guys since you guys are his friends." 

"Yeah, but Yugi said he gotta check on someone before he meets with us in the main quarters." Joey shrugged, not seeming to care much as he put more food on his plate,

"I can't help but worry though," Tea nodded as she looked at the entrance door, "It's not like him to just leave us like this...maybe he wants to spy on Marik-"

"The darn bozo is standin' over there lookin' all chump." Joey sneered at the cloaked man standing on the sidelines,

"I mean come on Tea, think about it," Tristan leaned towards Tea's ear, "The poor guy has the world's fate in his shoulders. Let him sit for a while by himself-"

 _"Who wants to bet he's with (y/n)~!"_ Mai chirped out loud with excitement in her voice, 

"Oho, now that you think of it.." Duke smirked as his hand cupped his chin, "...didn't (y/n) and Yugi go on some date or something?" 

"He did!" Mai gasped, "I completely forgot about that! They did!" 

"Oh come on now." Tea rolled her eyes as she looked at Mai and Duke, "They're friends. Nothing more." 

"Oho~" Mai inched closer at Tea with a smug look on her face, "Are you by any chance jeal-"

"Don't finish that." Tea sneered in reply, "I'm not jealous, it's fact." 

"Since when?" Mai asked with a cocked eyebrow, 

"Because there's no way Yugi would like someone he's just met like _that_." Tea snapped her fingers with rolling eyes, "He literally just met (y/n)-"

"Aw come on would ya stop it with that?" Joey groaned as he put his food plate down, "(y/n) didn't _just_ _meet us_ , Tea." His fingers quoted, "Sure, we saw her at Pegasus but that was like, whatta month ago? If we thinkin' like that then I guess I shouldn't see her as a friend then huh?" 

"Wh-" Tea turned to Joey, "I-I'm not saying that, I'm just saying that we only met the girl. Why would Yugi all of a sudden be around her like she's someone extremely special?" 

"I can't tell which is talking; the jealousy or ego?" Mai crossed her arms as she smirked at Tea, "The speed of someone getting close to another varies, you do know that right?" 

"What-" Tea turned to Mai, "What do you mean by that-"

"What I'm saying is that everyone's different in how close they get to other people." Mai leaned forward, her smirk growing, "Take me and Joey. We met in Pegasus' tournament yet we talk more than probably when you and Joey met." 

"Oh come on," Tristan stood next to Tea, "Mai, you're acting like Yugi and (y/n) are gonna walk in the room with their arms linked or something-" 

And as if time couldn't be more ironic, the entry door opened. Everyone turned their heads to see you and Yami walk in, with arms linked. 

Some mouths dropped at that very moment. 

"...I take it back," Tristan mumbled, 

"Well well well~" Mai smirked as she strolled over to you and Yami, "What's the arm hook up for?" 

"Oh.." Yami looked at your arm, "Forgive me, (y/n), I forgot our arms have been together." 

"I'm used to it now," You shrugged, 

"Well, excuse me for a moment. Mai," Yami unlinked his arm with yours and looked at Mai with a smile, "How's it going?" 

"Wh-" Mai blinked, her smirk grew, _"_ How am _I?_ How are you, Yugi? Look at you guys go linking arms~!" Mai smirked at Tea, 

"Oh...we kinda just..." Your cheeks started to blush again and you stared at the floor. 

"Kinda just..?" Mai edged closer to you with that very same smirk, 

"...that was on me, Mai." Yami clarified, "I felt comfortable." 

Mai simply stared at Yami in shock, as so did everyone else. 

" _That's my pharaoh_ ," Joey mumbled to himself as he smirked. Yami simply sighed and took you by the arm over to a nearby table and sat you down. 

"Stay here, I'll give you some water for that small headache, okay?" Yami whispered as he looked at everyone, who was still staring, "...Is everything alright?" 

As if everyone just realized Yami's attention is now at them, they all nervously laughed and looked to the side,

"Aahaha...yeah....yeah all good Yugi!" Tristan laughed nervously, 

"Yup, all good Yugi. Don't mind us. Seriously, don't." Duke smirked, 

Tea didn't say anything, she simply looked at the floor. Even with one eye open, you weren't blind.

She was _pissed_. 

With a raised eyebrow, Yami slowly walked over to get a cup of water. Mai soon accompanied him along the way. 

You would've got up to ask Tea if everything was alright, but not only did you not want to mess with her as she probably hates you more, but your headache prevented you from getting up. 

Since you heard that invisible roar and the Seal mumbling in some other language, your head was spinning and aching. Yami insisted on giving you a cup of water when he reaches the main quarters. Thankfully, it didn't take long before you made it to the main quarters only to find everyone staring at you. Such a nice welcome, don't you agree? 

"Soooo, (y/n)." Duke slid over to you with a smirk, "Heard you met Yugi over at Pegasus' Island." 

"Hm?" You looked at Duke, "Oh, yeah I did....Duke, right?" You asked as he nodded,

"Yup, the one and only." Duke answered as he leaned back, "...So, it hasn't been long since you guys met then?" 

"Yeah....although..." You hesitated and stared at Yami as Mai appeared to be lecturing him about something, "...It feels like I've met him before." 

"It does?" Duke's smirk grew, "Well, you know what they say." 

"What?" You asked without looking at Duke,

"They say you feel nostalgic when you're with the one you lo-" 

"Hey (y/n)!" A voice called out to you. Blinking, you glanced over to see Bakura smiling at you as he approached. 

"Oh, Bakura!" You gasped, "How's it going?" 

"Going well, sort of." Bakura shrugged his shoulders as he sat next to you. 

"Yeah, I heard you were in the hospital for some time," You narrowed your eyes, "Are you alright now?" 

"Yeah, I heard that too," Duke leaned forward and looked at Bakura, "Everything good?" 

"Oh, yes!" Bakura nodded and gave a gentle smile, "I'm fine, no need to worry too much about me! How about yourself? You look rather pale, (y/n)!" 

"Oh..." You blinked, "...just a small headache, no biggie." You shrugged your shoulders, 

"Oh, should I get you some water?" Duke asked,

"Oh no, Yam- Yugi's getting me one." You politely responded,

"Taking a while for one cup of wa- Oh cause of Mai." Duke raised an eyebrow at her, who is still trying to talk to him while Yami looked...rather bored. He smirked and looked at you,

"Ima get her off his back...for entertainment purposes," Duke said as he rose from his chair,

"Entertainment purposes?" You scrunched your face and looked at Duke,

"What does that mean?" Bakura asked with an eyebrow raised,

"Oh Bakura.." Duke shook his head, "You'll find out very soon. Hold on." With that, Duke slid his way over to Mai and Yami. 

"...I swear I don't know what's up with these guys so far." You shrugged, 

"Well, you and Yugi are rather close..." Bakura sighed, "...oh sorry, not Yugi. _It's you and the Pharaoh._ " 

You felt a smirk come from his mouth as he said that. Your skin turned paler than how it was before, your blood running cold.

You completely forgot. This isn't the same innocent Bakura everyone claims he is. 

"Don't even bother looking at my direction, you can merely listen." Yami Bakura hissed in your ear, his smirk growing, "I just wanted to let you know that once I duel with the Pharaoh, his Millenium Puzzle will be mine. You'll never see that Pharaoh ever again, and I'll make sure of it." He seethed as he leaned closer to you, "Who knows? Since you're so close with him, you'll blindly follow him wherever the puzzle goes, _so just know the puzzle won't be the only thing mine, Mrs. Vessel."_

Your heart dropped to the floor and your entire body went numb the moment he called you Ms. Vessel. Your head began to pound more than before as your throat tightened up.

How the hell does he know. 

How.

How the hell does he know. 

Both your eye and back stung as your fists clenched, unable to process anything at this point. 

"Well," Bakura leaned back and gave you an innocent smile, "I hope you do well in the finals! I'll be cheering for you!" 

You wanted to scream so bad. You stared at him in horror as he simply stood and walked away, as if he did nothing wrong. You couldn't hear your own thoughts at this point, you only stared at Bakura with your peripheral vision starting to get fuzzy. Your whole body began to feel fuzzy and numb but you felt warm hands touch your shaking ones. Startled, you immediately turned your head to see Yami, who looked very worried.

"(Y/n), what happened." Yami asked as he put the cup of water beside you and his knees resting on the floor. 

What the hell could you say? Bakura indirectly told you that he knows you're the Seal? Or even how Bakura is gonna claim you? 

Oh God, the mere thought of that made you want to throw up - and you haven't even eaten anything. 

"(Y/N)." Yami's grip on you tightened a little as his eyes grew stern, "What happened. You can tell me." 

You gulped and tried your best to stop shaking, "...He's..." You managed to speak, "....He's definitely here.."

"Who?" Yami asked,

"...B...Bakura." You responded. It didn't seem to take long for Yami to understand what you meant. His eyes narrowed and his grip on you tightened a little more, 

_"I knew it..."_ Yami hissed to himself as he darted his gaze to Bakura, who was innocently having a conversation with Joey. Suddenly the lights go off and the spotlight aimed at the center of the room. A giant ball appeared before everyone in the shape of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. 

_'Kaiba and his dragon obsession...'_ You thought to yourself as Yami stood and gave you the cup of water. 

"Drink this, it'll help." Yami whispered,

"Attention duelists and guests, the first duelists will be determined by lottery." A guard spoke up, "To ensure proper fairness, the chosen ones for upcoming duels will be random. We have assigned you all numbers from one to nine, and upcoming duelists will not know their opponent's identity until a winner has been decided in a current duel. I'm sure you all remember your number." 

_Ah shit...what was your number again?_ You bit your lip and stared at the floor,

"You're nine." Yami whispered, "Don't worry about a number, focus on calming yourself down." He said as he held your hand. 

"All balls are evenly weighed to further ensure fairness. However, as there are nine duelists, the ninth number will be on the sidelines for now. Regarding number nine; Out of the duelists that will fight each other, before the final 4 are decided, number nine will duel one of the winners to determine either number nine or the number chosen to fight should be in the final 4." The guard explained, "Now, does everyone understand the rules?" 

_Great, so you're on the sidelines....again._

Well hey, at least you get to duel someone, and to be fair, he is right. Nine isn't an even number, after all, so they have to think of something...but does it have to be you? 

Yami chuckled to himself as he squeezed your hand, "maybe fate will have us duel in this tournament." 

You stiffened and looked up at Yami, a whiplash hit but you couldn't help but realize; Yami's been wanting to duel you for a while, even Yugi told you that. For the first time in a while, you smiled to yourself and looked at Yami's hand, squeezing it in return,

"Yeah...maybe." You nodded your head, not noticing Yami's smile growing warmer as he softly looked at you. 

"Now, let us begin the lottery! The first duelist will be..." The guard glanced at the lottery machine as it pulled out a number, "....number 6. Bakura." 

"Me....? Dueling first?" Bakura gasped,

"Are you sure you want to duel man?" Tristan asked, 

"Yeah, you just got out of the hospital," Tea spoke for the first time in a while, 

"Oh no, believe me, I'm fine! Nothing to worry about! It's just surprising that I'm doing first!" Bakura gently assured while laughing a little bit. 

"Now stand by, the second duelist will be announced shortly," The guard sternly said as the lottery machine went off once more, "Know that once the second duelist has been announced, they are to immediately take off and start their duel." He warned as the lottery machine spat a number,

"And the second duelist is...Number 3. Yugi Motou." The guard announced, 

You froze in place the moment you heard his name. 

"The both of you are expectant to go to the arena up ahead to start the Battle City Finals. The rules still apply; the loser gives the winner their rarest card as the winner proceeds to round 2." The guard finished. 

"Yami-" You tugged his hand. Yami's attention averted completely to you within moments, 

"Yes?" 

"...B..Be careful, okay?" You gulped, 

"...I know." Yami nodded and firmly held your hands for a few moments. Then, he let go of you and headed over to a nearby escalator with a guard and Bakura. You slowly stood from your seat and finished your cup of water,

"The rest of you, come with me and I'll escort you over to the Stratos Dueling Arena." Another guard stepped up and guided everyone else.

"...Hey," Tea called you over, "Are you alright?" 

"Hm?" You quickly looked at Tea, "...Oh...uh..yeah."

"Are you sure?" Tea asked, "You look scared." 

"Oh...well.." You bit your lip, "...just nervous, that's all." You lied,

"You sure? You know you can talk to me if you need someone." Tea smiled, "I may not be much but I try!" 

"Aha, I'll keep that in mind." You laughed a bit as you walked with everyone else to the top, 

"I'm sure Yug' got this." Joey stretched as he walked up to the top, "I mean, he is da King of Games." 

"Yeah, but I am worried about Bakura." Tristan frowned, "I mean, should he be really dueling right now?" 

_'Bakura should be the only thing to worry about, and not in the way you're thinking.'_ You thought to yourself as you took a shaky sigh,

"Well, I hope things turn out good in the end." You said as you and the others finally made it to the top. The arena was held higher than where you stood and Yami and Bakura were already in their positions. The cold winds went through your coat as you didn't dare to look down. 

"Holy - this place is dope!" Joey gasped

"...it's freezing..." Serenity held her arms, 

"Let me make this clear and quick; we are 4,000 feet in the air. If you can't handle the weather conditions, you don't belong here." Kaiba announced. 

"Well dang, Kaiba," you rolled your eyes, "looks like you and Mother Nature are the bestest of friends." 

"Seems really cool though, not gonna lie." Duke added with a smirk, 

"Well, Yugi? Are you ready to lose it all?" Bakura asked,

"I think before we start the duel it's best to introduce who you really are." Yami sneered with his arms crossed, "It's time to stop playing around, _spirit of the Millenium Ring_." 

"What?" Tea gasped, "The spirit of the Millenium Ring? Bakura still has it?!" 

"That- How?!" Tristan was shocked, "I chucked it far away back at Pegasus Island! There's no way-" 

Again, as if Time was Tristan's enemy, Bakura gave a dark chuckle as the ring appeared before everyone, around Bakura's neck. 

"...I don't see the big deal though. What's around Bakura's neck?" Namu asked,

"Oh Namu...it's kinda hard to explain," Tea bit her lip as she responded to Namu, "That's...not really Bakura." 

"What?" Mai's face scrunched,

"Yugi and Bakura both have ancient items in their possession," You explained, "Each item has a spirit dwelling inside; Yugi's is good, but Bakura's isn't. Right now, you're seeing the evil spirit possessing Bakura to duel Yugi." 

"So Bakura's possessed? Kinda hard to believe." Namu's eyebrow rose,

"I thought that too for a bit, but it's true." Tea nodded her head,

"I just hope this evil spirit doesn't drag Yugi to the Shadow Realm, that's the _last_ place you want to be." Joey bit his lip as he looked up at Yugi,

"I think it's time introductions end here, don't you think?" Yami Bakura smirked, "I think it's time to start our duel so I can get what I want." His eyes averted over to Yugi's Millenium Puzzle. 

With that, the duel started without hesitation. It didn't seem like a fair duel to you, you watched Yami Bakura pull and activate cards that put Yami in a tight situation more than once. It was just as you feared, Yami Bakura was winning with all his advantages, even by not making it a Shadow game. Despite the creepy aura Yami Bakura created throughout the duel, Yami was able to persevere through as if there was a tight line. As Yami Bakura ended his turn, he gave a dark chuckle,

"You know Yugi, I forgot to add something earlier..." Yami Bakura sighed,

"Oh? What's that?" Yami asked as he pulled out his next card,

"...I forgot to add; when I said I'll be taking your Millenium Puzzle, _I won't be just grabbing the puzzle's power._ " Yami Bakura smirked wide as his eyes slowly averted over to you. 

You froze in place, the nauseating feeling returning once more. Joey immediately ran in front of you, shielding you from Yami Bakura's view. 

"Take those words back, you creep." Joey hissed as Yami Bakura laughed, 

"And what are you gonna do?" Yami Bakura scoffed, "Not even your friends will stop me-" His eyes went over to Yami and immediately shut his mouth. 

Dark clouds slowly formed and hovered over the battle arena with lightning striking near Yami. Yami didn't move for at least a minute or a minute and a half, but it was obvious; 100% obvious. 

**Yami was pissed off.**

Anyone could tell by how his crimson eyes glared daggers at Yami Bakura, as if death was lingering around ready to be ordered by the Ancient Pharaoh. 

"...If you dare, take my Millenium Puzzle," Yami hissed with his voice dark, **_"....But don't even think of touching (y/n) with your dirty hands."_** He seethed as he put his new card in the air. 

**"I sacrifice the Dark Magician Girl, Gamma the Magnet Warrior, and Big Shield Gardna to summon the Almighty Slifer the Sky Dragon."** Yami hissed as he slammed the red Egyptian God Card in his disk, the card appearing nearly threatening to Yami Bakura. Immediately after, the orange aura Yami Bakura created soon dissipated as if it's smoke as a bright white light scorned through and wings formed, the long tail surrounding the blimp. The white light took the form of a dragon that soon shaded the color red. 

A full Egyptian God card stood behind Yami and before Yami Bakura as it gave a loud roar in reply to its summoning. 

_"Shit...."_ Yami Bakura nervously chuckled, 

"Wh....What is that?!" Tristan gasped, "Joey what the hell is that?!" 

"THE BIGGEST DUEL MONSTER I'VE EVER SEEN!" Joey screamed, 

"...It's an Egyptian God card." You stared at the red dragon as it loomed over Yami Bakura. 

For some reason....it's very nostalgic...as though you've seen this before. 

**"You're gonna regret talking about and to (y/n) like that, Bakura. Prepare yourself."** Yami seethed as Slifer hissed, steam coming out of its mouth, **"SLIFER, ATTACK BAKURA, AND HIS REMAINING LIFE POINTS."**

And so it did. It attacked Bakura with no hesitation, wiping his life points clear to zero. Bakura's eyes rolled back as he fell to the floor practically lifeless. 

"BAKURA!" Tea screamed as Tristan jumped on the arena to check up on him. With the help of Joey, you hopped on the arena and ran straight to Yami, who stood there taking deep breaths. 

"Y-Yami-" You reached out to him and moments later he grabbed your arms,

"(Y/N). Did he touch you?" He asked, "Did he harm you before this duel? Are you alright?" 

"I-I'm f-fine..." You winced at how tight his grip was, "And yourself?" 

You've never seen Yami so stressed, his eyes were absolute fear and worry despite his dark expression moments earlier. He was taking deep breaths as he intensely stared at you, then soon pulled you close and gave you a tight hug.

 _"...As long as you're alright."_ He mumbled as he fell to his knees. 

**_================================================_ **

**_Hey! I am so sorry I skipped most of the duel and dialogue throughout the battle. I didn't want to extend the chapter on something you guys already know the outcome of. I truly hope you enjoyed it though!_ **

**_~Ending; ~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	20. Season 2; Episode 9

_**~Opening; ~ ** _

_**====================================** _

"Y-Yami?!" You yelped as you caught him from completely falling to the floor. Despite his knees losing strength, he never let go of you as his arms remained tight around you. Yami was quiet, he simply sat on his knees and held you tight as if you were going to disappear. You had to bite your lip to not show how much pain your back, it's practically screaming. 

"I-I'm okay, alright?" You gently patted his back, "Nothing to worry about, I'm still here." You quietly assured as, after around a minute, Yami slowly pulled away and nodded his head,

"you're right," He nodded, 

"Alright....let's check on Bakura-" You turned to look at Bakura to see Joey holding him. You could tell even from across the arena, Bakura looked a lot paler than he did before, and you no longer sensed the same malice that was fighting Yami. 

"Yugi!" Tea ran to Yami with a worried expression, "Bakura is losing consciousness!" 

"What?" Yami widened his eyes as he got up from the floor, "Is Kaiba gonna land the blimp? He needs to go back to the hospital." 

"We don't know, for now, Tristan's gonna take Bakura to his room. Security keeps saying no though." Tea frowned as she slowly looked down on you. Your eye narrowed as you slowly stood up to match eye level with Tea,

"What do you think, (y/n)?" Yami turned to you, "Would Kaiba land the blimp?" 

"Knowing Kaiba?" You sighed, "Not likely. I'll talk to him though, apparently, he may likely listen to me - no offense." 

"None taken." Yami shrugged, "Figured as much, was going to ask for you to talk to Kaiba anyway." 

"Aha.." You nervously laughed as you tried to stretch your back that was in massive pain. You have no idea how you were able to stand up. You were gonna stay longer, but Tea's staredown with you made you want to leave on the spot. Besides, you needed a place to sit down to let your back relax, without worrying Yami in any shape or kind. Looking around, you didn't find Kaiba at all, indicating it's time to leave to ask Kaiba. 

"I'm gonna go and ask Kaiba, so, see you guys later." You quickly gave your farewell but before you left the arena you looked ay Yami, "...And just so you know, this is not your fault. You had to cast Slifer anyway, and Bakura would've won if you didn't." You assured as you hopped off the arena and practically limped over to the first-class area - which Kaiba warned is restricted. Mokuba appeared and gasped when he saw you,

"(Y/n)! You look pale! Are you okay?" Mokuba rushed over to you with a worried look. Nervously laughing, you nodded your head,

"Yeah, where is your brother?" 

"In his room, do you wanna see him?" Mokuba asked,

"Please." You nodded as Mokuba knocked at Kaiba's door,

"Seto? It's (y/n). She's here to talk to you." Mokuba spoke as moments later the door opened. 

"(y/n), what is it?" Kaiba asked,

"I have a small question," You blinked with a nervous chuckle, "Could you by any chance land the blim-"

"I can't do that." Kaiba immediately answered as he walked into his room and sat on the couch. He looked at you, gesturing you to sit with him. You took a deep breath, already feeling how this is gonna be difficult, and walked into Kaiba's room to sit in the chair across from him. The moment you sat, your back was practically screaming thank you. 

"And why not?" You asked,

"Because it's simple, (y/n). I can't make some random land in the middle of the finals. We can't exactly do that." Kaiba responded,

"But Bakura's practically losing consciousness." You frowned,

"And from the looks of it, so are you." Kaiba cocked an eyebrow, 

"Oh wow do I look that bad?" You bit your lip and leaned back to the chair,

"You kinda do, yeah." Kaiba nodded, "But I can't land the blimp, try to understand that (y/n). At least you look at both sides, unlike the monkey Joey and his friends. I'm already expecting him and everyone to be banging at my door." 

"Hmm..." You hummed and looked at the ceiling, "If we can't land the blimp, then let's at least find some sort of substitute." Your mind clicked when you realized Kaiba had a medical team, "Kaiba, you did bring your medical team over right?" 

"Yes." Kaiba nodded as a small smile formed, "I can't land the blimp but I will use my medical team on him." 

"And there we go." You clasped your hands together with a relieved sigh, "Kinda suspicious how I have to _ask_ you for your medical team, it should be uh...common sense." 

Kaiba gave a hmph as he looked at the window, "Beats me, I only care about winning this tournament. If Bakura wasn't well, then why did he come here in the first place?" 

_'Gee, I don't know, ask the evil spirit of the Millenium Ring'_ You thought to yourself as you rolled your eyes, "That's a good question; he probably really wanted to duel." You shrugged your shoulders,

"That's dumb." Kaiba rolled his eyes, "But I do admire his determination-"

**BANG BANG BANG**

Kaiba's door banged loudly, so loud that it made you yelp and stare at the door. Kaiba didn't seem fazed, he simply shrugged his shoulders and let out a groan, 

"And what did I tell you, (y/n)? That they'll be banging at my door?" Kaiba got up and walked over to the door to open it. The moment it was open, low and behold, Joey was glaring at Kaiba from the other side. 

"Kaiba! You gotta land the blimp for Bakura!" Joey hissed, 

"No." Kaiba blatantly responded and walked back inside his room - with Joey and everyone else following. 

"Why not?! Bakura is in critical condition!" Joey seethed,

"...actually I-" You tried to talk to Joey but he kept going,

"How could you be so selfish Kaiba! Someone's hurt! Bakura is losing consciousness as we speak!" Joey continued rampaging. 

"No." Kaiba shook his head, "I am not landing." 

"Please Kaiba," Serenity came forward, "If you won't do it for Joey, could you at least do it for me?" 

"...actually-" You tried coming in but Tristan growled,

"See? Even Serenity is asking and there's no way you'll say no." Tristan hissed, 

"Yeah! Listen to Serenity!" Duke came forward with a frown.

You frowned, why is everyone suddenly ignoring you? 

"I said no. I am not going to land the blimp. If Bakura was ill in the first place then why did he come." Kaiba's eyes narrowed, 

"Why you-" Joey clenched his fists,

 _"But."_ Kaiba shot his gaze at Joey, "I talked with (y/n) about it. Rather than landing the blimp, I will send my medical team to Bakura's room. Mokuba." He looked at his little brother, who nodded and ran out the door. 

"Wh-" Joey blinked and finally looked at you, "(y/n) when the hell did you come here?" 

"I've been here." You frowned and watched Joey nervously laugh,

"Sorry 'bout that," Joey laughed, "Didn't see ya with all this rage I have." 

"It's all good." You shrugged your shoulders, 

"Now get out of my room." Kaiba hissed at Joey, "All of you." 

"Wait, (y/n)?" Yugi narrowed his eyes, "are you alright? You look a bit pale." 

You blinked and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine Yugi." 

"You sure? Cause if not I'll force Kaiba to-" 

"Yugi, if (y/n) was in pain, she'd tell me. Even if she didn't I would force medical attention on her. Now leave my room." Kaiba interrupted and clenched his fists. 

"Augh- okay okay, stay safe alright (y/n)?" Yugi pleaded and quickly left Kaiba's room with everyone else following. 

_'Kinda ironic how no one needs to remind him if I need medical assistance but not with Bakura...'_ you thought to yourself as the moment the door closed, Kaiba turned to you,

"So? What's wrong with you?" Kaiba asked, "You look like you're gonna pass out any minute." 

"Do I?" You laughed and flinched when your back stung, "Okay okay, kinda in a little pain." 

"Where?" Kaiba asked,

"My back." You responded, "ugh, like an old lady." You joked with a tiny smirk, 

"Do you need a massage or something?" Kaiba cocked an eyebrow. Panic went through your body, the last thing you'd want is for someone to look at your back. 

_'No one wants to look at a back with deep wounds that mark the Seal of Orichalos now do they.'_ You thought to yourself as you shook your head immediately, "Nah, probably some pain medication will take care of it." 

"I would suggest you rest, but the second duel will be coming very shortly." Kaiba narrowed his eyes, "But for now, I'd best you return to your room and rest your back. If you're too much in pain then we'll send a wheelchair." 

"Wow, thanks." You frowned as you forced yourself up, "I feel so appreciated." You grinned at Kaiba who shrugged in return, 

"You're a duelist, (y/n). You can't just skip like the eighth duelist." 

"Oh yeah, there are nine duelists but I only saw like eight at the first duel." You recalled,

"Yeah, the eighth duelist is not attending any duels so far. They're literally isolating themselves in their room." Kaiba scoffed, "No matter how much my guards tell them to get out they are just not getting out." 

"Mood." You mumbled to yourself, "Well, I assure you, I'm not gonna pull an eighth. I'll be there _without_ a wheelchair, thank you very much." You sneered and left his room.

"You better." Kaiba smirked as the door closed. 

Taking a huge sigh, you slowly began to realize how exhausted you are. You dragged yourself over to your room and closed the door once you got in. Your back, practically being stubborn, pounded at this point and you have no idea why. Your eye isn't acting up, so it couldn't possibly be the Seal's work, right? 

You've been feeling odd since you heard that weird dragon's roar, first your head, and now it's your back. You wouldn't be as surprised if your eye acted up. Another thing that has your concern is how the Seal has been quiet since it last spoke in some different language that you have yet to recognize. 

_'Maybe if I see my back I can figure out why it's pounding like this'_ You thought as you limped over to the window that sat on your desk. You slithered your coat off and took off your shirt whilst your back was as though demanding you to not raise your arms any higher. But, you need to do so to figure out what's wrong. Maybe Yami squeezed a bit too tight when he hugged you? Once your shirt was off, you stared at your shirt to realize there were red stains on it. Your eyes went wide as you slowly turned around and glanced at the mirror to only get paler than you were before. 

Your back wasn't just pounding, it was bleeding.

Blood was coming down your back and it came from the hieroglyphic language and the borders around it. 

" **HOLY SHIT**." You gasped loudly as your hands immediately went to your back, _how the hell is it bleeding?! You have never seen it bleed like this!_ What the hell are you gonna do? It won't be long until the second duel goes on, so how are you gonna take care of this-

Oh my God, if your back was bleeding, did it affect Kaiba's chair when you sat down? Or Yami's sleeves when he hugged you? 

The anxiety slammed on you like a bus as you grabbed both your coat and shirt and examined it. Unfortunately, your shirt had blood stains all over, but your coat wasn't affected yet. 

"Well, shit.." You exhaled as you stared at your shirt, "Even if I had a wheelchair, it would end up having bloodstains. So a wheelchair isn't the best place to go." 

You glanced over at your back once more, well, the least you can do is try to wipe it or something. At least clean the blood..... _but how?_

It's not that easy trying to clean your back on your own. You would need someone's help, but how? Having someone come and help around here is like going up to them and saying "By the way, I have this weird Seal on my back and it's bleeding cause I am a vessel~" 

And you are **NOT** gonna say that, not in any shape or form whatsoever. You took a heavy sigh, "Well, I have some time so I better start-" 

_"All remaining finalists must now remain at the main concourse. The next two duelists will be chosen."_ The speaker hovered over you as though the finals hated your guts. 

**"FUCK."** You hissed at the speaker in return as you quickly ran over despite the pain and grabbed a towel. You put hot water in the towel and turned again to look at your back, the blood practically dripping down your back at this point. Having no choice but to bite the pain in, you merely wiped the blood off your back while trying to hold back the urge to cry. 

_"This is your two-minute warning, all duelists must be in the deck in two minutes!"_ The speaker spoke,

 _"ALRIGHT JESUS CHRIST."_ You hissed back as you finished up cleaning the blood. Making a prayer to anyone up there, you bolted to find a new black shirt from your drawers. Upon finding one, you put it on quickly and grabbed your coat. You grabbed the duel disk with your deck and bolted out of your room and towards the deck. As soon as you walked in, everyone looked at you,

"Oh, hey (y/n)!" Joey cheered with a wide smile, "How's it going?" 

"Going great.." You panted, "...thanks to the speaker I was rushed out of my room." 

"Ahh come on now, now isn't the time to be lazy!" Joey laughed as he approached you, "Ya gotta duel ahead of ya!" He said as he wrapped an arm around your aching back - 

_I swear if blood gets on his arm I'm finished._

"Yeah, you aren't wrong there." You nodded, internally screaming as Joey laughed while keeping his arm around your back, 

"Ya wouldn't believe what Tristan and Duke were sayin', they were talking about some white-cloaked ghost that saved their lives while they were looking for the Millennium Ring." Joey explained,

"A ghost?" You blinked and looked at Tristan, "That true?" 

"Well, kinda." Tristan shrugged, "He was wearing white and saved Duke and me, the moment we went up to thank the guy he vanished." 

"That sounds kinda spooky." You blinked as Tristan nodded,

"Exactly my point." 

"(Y/n), are you alright?" Yugi approached you with a concerned look, "You look awfully pale." 

"Hm?" You blinked and looked at Yugi, "Oh, yeah I am." 

"Oh yeah, now that ya look at it, you do look pale." Joey blinked as he got a closer look at you, "You okay? You don't need me to jump at Kaiba later do you?" 

"Oh no," You shook your head, "Nah it's all good, trust me." 

"Ya sure?" Joey raised an eyebrow,

"Positive." You nodded,

"Aight, if ya say so." Joey removed his hand from your back. You watched his arm to find no red marks on him and internally went on your knees screaming in happiness. All you need now is to make sure no one touches your back and to ensure you're in a position where it won't hurt too much. 

"Attention duelists, thank you for reaching the deck. We will now choose our next duelists." The guard spoke. You glared at that guard, if that guard had waited at least a minute, you wouldn't have run so much and made your back worse.

Curse you guard. 

"Remember, the choice is random for a fair match!" Mokuba spoke, "Now let's choose our duelists!" 

The lottery machine went off. You already knew you weren't gonna be in there at least until the final four was made, so you sat on the floor and waited. Yugi noticed and looked at you for about a minute as the first duelist was announced,

"The first duelist chosen is number 2. Joey Wheeler." The guard announced,

"Awwww yeah! About darn time!" Joey cheered with a big smile on his face,

"And the second duelist Joey will be fighting is..." The lottery machine spat out a number, "...number seven. Marik Ishtar!" 

You could feel the atmosphere change the moment the second duelist was announced. _Oh boy,_ you mentally sighed, _here comes another intense duel_. 

"I hope you brought a parachute cause ima blow you off this blimp! Ya got that Marik?" Joey snarked at Marik, who simply stared at him. However there was something about that stare, it almost looked like guilt. 

_'Is that normal for someone like Marik to look so guilty?'_ You thought as you narrowed your eyes at Marik. You rose from the floor and glanced at the wall where you leaned on to find no traces of blood. 

"(y/n)?" You heard someone call your name and you immediately turned to see Yugi in front of you,

"Yes?" 

"....are you sure you're alright? You look exhausted." Yugi asked, 

"You're a sweetheart," You patted Yugi's spiky hair, "Yes, I am fine." 

"...Well, when this duel is over you better rest," Yugi recommended,

"If Kaiba ends the night with this duel, yes." You nodded, "Let's go to the roof, alright?" 

"If you're lying about being fine I am gonna have Yami take over." Yugi pouted, "And he's just as worried as I am, if not more." He smirked. 

You dramatically gasped as you walked with Yugi down the hall, "oh no, whatever am I gonna do?" You asked dramatically, 

"Oh yeah~?" Yugi's smirk grew, "What if I told you that Yami takes his friend's conditions more _seriously_ than I do~?" 

You paused and looked at Yugi, "It depends, how serious?" 

"Serious enough where push comes to shove he'll drag you to your room with or without consent?" Yugi smirked, 

"Oof, wouldn't want that." You took a step back from Yugi, "Or any sense of care, thaaank you~" 

"Aw come on," Yugi frowned, "What's wrong with friends caring for another?" 

"I'm..." You took a sigh as you entered the elevator with Yugi, "...not really used to having this many friends-"

"WHAT?!" Tristan gasped as he stared at you in shock, "YOU NEVER HAD FRIENDS (Y/N)?!" 

"Uh.." You recalled the countless times where you forced yourself in solitary confinement throughout most of your childhood....the childhood you could remember honestly. Either way, the only thing you remember is isolation, Nymphi, and Papa. "....yeah, kinda. The only people I remember are my little sister and my grandfather." 

"Wait.." Duke paused and stared at you, "...YOU HAVE A LITTLE SISTER?!" 

"Yup!" Mokuba nodded with a smile, "Her name is Nymphi! She's 4 years old!" 

"Aw...she's 4." You couldn't tell if Duke was disappointed or found it adorable. 

"Do you have a picture of her?" Serenity asked with a spark in her eye, "I love kids!" 

"Oh, I think I do, let me check." You pulled out your phone and scrolled through your photos to find a photo of Nymphi. Before you left to join Pegasus' tournament, you asked Nymphi to pose for a picture. You finally found the photo and showed it to Serenity

"Here." You showed Serenity and everyone else crowded over Serenity (except the Kaiba brothers) to see her. They saw the little Nymphi; with short (h/c) hair with an adorable smile. She wore a cute little yellow dress with green laces as she bore an innocent closed-eye smile. 

"Aww!" Serenity and Tea smiled warmly at the picture, 

"She's really cute!" Yugi smiled at the picture, as so did Tristan and Duke. 

"Where is she?" Tristan asked,

"At home with her grandfather." Mokuba answered, "I miss her though, when is she coming by?" 

"The next time Papa comes over I assume," You shrugged your shoulders,

"She's fun to play with." Mokuba laughed, "I teach her how to play Duel Monsters and she's really cute!" 

"Like a big brother." You nodded,

"She's well-disciplined," Kaiba added as everyone stared at Kaiba in shock, 

"...if Kaiba praises a kid..." Joey mumbled, "...then this kid's either a good one or just like him." 

"It's the former." You whispered to Joey as the doors to the roof opened. You walked with everyone to see Joey and Marik already positioned and ready to duel. 

"Serenity you look nervous." Tea noticed Serenity's worried expression,

"Well...I've never seen Joey duel before..." Serenity mumbled,

"Wait - you're right! This is the first time you're watching Joey duel!" Tea gasped, "Don't worry, with you cheering him on he'll definitely win!" 

"Aight listen up ya creeper!" Joey scowled, "By my math calculations, your ass is gonna be kicked in the next nine turns, ya got it?!" 

"....nine?" You raised an eyebrow, 

"He's so cool!" Serenity gasped, "He already calculated how many turns he's gonna give!" 

"Thaaaat's right Serenity you just keep believing everything Joey says." Mai sarcastically responded. 

In response to Joey's threat, Marik pulled out what appears to be the Millenium Rod. You blinked as he practically shoved it in Joey's face from the opposite side - that was real quick for Marik to use the rod. 

"Point that thing somewhere else and duel me like a real man!" Joey clenched his fists as he watched Marik put the rod back to his pocket,

"As you wish." He responded. 

"that's the first time I've ever heard him speak since we got on this blimp." You blinked and narrowed your eyes, you didn't recall Marik to be so.. _.polite_....you figured he'd be laughing and using it or something. You looked around to see if anyone noticed it, however, once your eye landed on Namu, you noticed he was smirking at Joey and Marik. 

That's not the only thing you noticed, he appeared to be holding something behind- 

**....wait a goddamn minute**. 

You froze in place as you stared at his hidden arm. He's smirking at Marik, while holding something behind him literally the moment Marik pulled out the Rod....

 _...Oh my God._ Your heart dropped, _....Namu's Marik_. You stared at "Marik" in shock, _if Marik is over here...who the hell is fighting Joey?! Some accomplice!?_ Your hand covered your mouth, extreme nausea came over and you started to feel a bit dizzy. 

"(y/n)?" Duke caught your attention, "Everything good?" 

"HM?" You squeaked and gulped, "Oh yeah, totally." 

"You sure?" Yugi came forward and sneered at you,

"Honest." You nodded your head and glanced at Namu, who was watching you. 

_You know what?_ You thought with a scowl on your face, _Marik, cause of you Joey suffered, so ima make you feel the same as I do right now._

You simply stared down behind "Namu" and back at him, "Yup, I just hope that Marik gets exposed and goes down." 

Marik got the hint. His eyes widened and he stiffened in place. For the first time in a while, you felt triumphant in something. You mentally gave yourself a high five, maybe if your back wasn't aching you probably would've straightened your back. 

"I'm watching you (y/n)." Yugi sneered, "If you're lying-" 

You frowned, "I know I know." 

As the duel pressed on, you could literally feel the blood coming down your back again. You repositioned yourself in hopes that it wouldn't sting but nothing can ever go your way. As time progressed, you began to feel dizzy, but not like earlier. There was a ringing noise that came through your ears as you heard that same distant yet close roar. Despite your fuzzy sight, you could've sworn you a black mass with yellow eyes staring at you from afar - across from you to be exact - hidden in the clouds. You couldn't hear anyone's cheers and encouraging words to Joey, they were growing fuzzy too. 

By the gods, you couldn't think straight. You had the biggest feeling you were gonna pass out at this rate. If that happens you're screwed. Your back may show blood on the floor and they'll be forced to see - 

You felt gentle yet firm hands on your shoulders. Startled, you were lightly pulled back and felt a chin rest on your shoulder.

"First, you suck at lying." Yami whispered, "Second, you're lucky we're watching a duel and everyone's focused on Joey. Once this duel is over, you're going be with me and _I'm going to take care of you whether you like it or not._ " 

_**===================================** _ _**=** _

_**~Ending; ~ ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	21. Season 2; Episode 10

**_~Opening; ~ _ **

**_well, brace yourselves this is gonna be a little longer than usual-_ **

**_==================================_ **

"C'mon Joey you got this!" Tristan cheered, "Kick his butt!" 

"Something's not right," Mai mumbled as she frowned at "Marik", "Shouldn't he be crushing Joey at this point with his Egyptian Card? Or at least be a little more ruthless with him? Yugi what do you think-" Mai turned and gasped, "Is (y/n) okay?" 

"She's fine." Yami lied, "She's just as anxious as everyone else," 

"(y/n), Joey's gonna win, that's for sure." Mai gently rubbed your arm, "Don't worry too much, it'll affect both your health and your beauty~" 

"Aha..." You nervously responded, "...thanks." 

Honestly, that isn't even what got you to be so nervous. 2 things made you nervous,

First off, Yugi was right about how serious Yami can be. 

Secondly, if what you feel is correct, if you lean against Yami or even touch him there would probably be a likely chance that there will be blood on him. There was no certainty, but there was the chance. 

"Well, don't you think Marik is being...gentle towards Joey?" Mai asked, 

"You noticed it too?" Yami asked as he narrowed his eyes, 

"Yeah." Mai nodded,

 _Marik -_ Your eyes lit and you turned to Mai and Yami, "...cause that isn't Marik." You whispered,

"What?" Mai gasped, 

"I noticed it too, way early in the duel." You bit your lip, "He's too gentle, too polite. I didn't even sense any sort of malice that I figured I would sense." 

"Who do you think it is?" Yami whispered as everyone screamed, rooting for Joey. 

"....It's Namu." You narrowed your eyes at the real Marik, 

"Namu? The purple kid?" Mai asked,

"Yup." You nodded, "When the Marik up there took out his rod, Namu was smirking at him, not only that but he looked to be holding something behind his back." You explained, "Not only that, but Namu seems to be fake from the beginning." 

Yami glanced at Namu with his eyes narrowed, "...now that you think of it..." 

Mai glanced over as well, "Wow, with a boy like that you wouldn't imagine him being such an evil bastard." 

"What's going on here?" Tea asked as Mai shot up and looked at Tea with a smile,

"Oh, just talking about the duel!" Mai lied as she clasped her hands together, "Ya know, predictions on what's gonna happen. Right Yugi and (y/n)?" She turned to you and Yami with gritted teeth - as if she's threatening the both of you. 

"Oh, um, yes." Yami nodded. 

"Yup." You nodded with him. 

Tea frowned as she looked at Yami, "I'm sure Joey will win," She mumbled as you watched her glance over at your shoulders. Mai immediately walked in front of you and Yami with a smirk, 

"Yeah, so let's watch the duel~" Mai chirped with glee as Tea slowly looked back at the duel. Mai soon turned around and looked at you and Yami,

"So if that's Marik behind us, who is fighting Joey?" Mai whispered, 

"Probably some accomplice," Yami glared at "Marik", "If that's the case, I'm wondering if the Egyptian God Card the fake Marik has is the real Egyptian God Card." 

"...probably not." Your head spun a little but thankfully Yami held you so you wouldn't bump into anyone, "it's probably some fake."

"How?" Mai asked, "can you even make a fake card from some high top-tier card?" 

"Never underestimate thieves." Yami's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the real Marik, "And he's definitely the real Marik, his smirk shows evil malice, the very same that I've felt before." Yami managed to look back towards the duel when Marik looked over in Yami's direction. 

"But that does mean Joey will not be destroyed in this duel, right?" Mai asked,

"Just because it's fake doesn't mean it doesn't give sufficient damage." Yami's eyes narrowed and soon looked at you,"(y/n), are you alright."

"Yeah," You nodded as your head slowly began to stop getting dizzy. The black mass you saw earlier slowly began to fade. Hopefully your back is going to be fine-

_**"Frustra tempus."** _

Your head went off again. You ended up leaning back towards Yami as your head began to pound once more, and your back isn't helping. Yami's attention completely averted from the duel over to you within seconds,

"(Y/n)." His voice was quiet yet stern, "Stay with me, at least until the duel is over and we're back in your room." 

You could only groan as a response. You were so tired of it. Why you? You weren't sure what was going on throughout the duel, instead you merely relied on Yami and Mai with the situation with the duel. As far as you know, Joey was getting suspicious of the fake Marik and the fake Egyptian God Card was being played. You weren't too sure, your head practically refused you to open your eyes fully to see clearly. You covered your face with your hands as you heard loud bangs. Yami immediately wrapped his arms around you as though he's protecting you. 

What the hell is happening? Whatever is happening, you wish you could properly understand it. However, it soon grew quiet for at least a minute, then everyone resumed screaming. When you were finally able to understand what was going on, you stared at both duelists who were on the floor unconscious. 

"...what the hell." You mumbled as Yami stared at you,

"You okay?" He asked,

"...I am now." You nodded as your headache began to subside, "...what the hell-"

"It's as I said earlier," Yami narrowed his eyes, "The Winged Dragon of Ra that the fake Marik has was fake, he lost control of it and it struck lightning that caught both Joey and whoever that is. They have a minute to get up or they both lose. And your observation is basically valid cause the Millenium Rod the fake Marik had was fake." Yami explained, 

"....he's too cruel." You muttered, "he's literally Marik's accomplice and he lets that happen?" 

"...evil people like Marik don't seem to care much about their accomplices." Yami glanced over at Namu, who appeared to have a massive headache. 

"Come on Joey, wake up." Yami muttered as everyone around you was practically screaming - heck, even Tristan was close to jumping in the arena and smacking him awake but the guards probably told him not to as the duel was still going. It was 30 long seconds as finally Joey managed to stand and stared at his opponent,

"...What happened? Where am I?" Joey asked,

"Joey! You won!" Tea shouted with glee,

"Huh?" Joey blinked,

"Ugh, with the finals!?" Mai hissed, "You scared the hell out of me you douche!" 

"I did...?" 

"And the winner of this duel is Joey Wheeler!" The guard announced, 

"Wait, I won?" Joey blinked,

"Yes you did." Yami nodded with a grin,

"I knew you would!" Serenity clasped her hands together with glee. Tristan jumped on the arena with a smile on his face,

"That's my man!" Tristan wrapped an arm around Joey but was soon brushed off. Joey walked over to his opponent as the arena descended to the floor. 

"Mai, hold (y/n) for me. She isn't too well right now." Yami lightly pressed you against Mai, 

"Oh, alright..." Mai nodded as she held your shoulders. 

"W-Wait I'm fi-" You blinked,

 _"Stay. With. Mai."_ Yami sneered before he ran up the stairs and to the opponent. 

"Jeez, have you ever seen Yugi so stern?" Mai blinked and looked at you, "Honey, you're swaying a bit, are you sure you're fine?"

"I mean....I should be-" You mumbled but felt your back grow sticky. Your eye grew wide, Oh shit your back. It probably is bleeding a lot more than it did last time. What the hell are you gonna do about that?" 

"Joey Wheeler...it was an honor fighting with you..I am so sorry...." The fake Marik spoke,

"Hey, same to you, but ya gotta come clean. Who are you?" Joey asked as Yami sat across from Joey and helped him with the fake Marik, 

"I am a mere servant...to Master Marik." The servant pointed over to...not a surprise...Namu, who appeared to be having a migraine at this point as he held the actual Millenium Rod. 

"That's Marik?!" Joey gasped,

"...(y/n) was right." Yami mumbled,

"It's that rod! The same one the other had!" Tea gasped as Mai lightly pulled you away from Marik with a stern look. 

"Admit your true identity, Marik." Yami spoke loudly as Marik slowly turned and looked at Yami with a smirk, 

"Yes, it is true. I am the real Marik, you fools." Marik smirked, 

"So Namu lied to us all along?" Tea gasped,

"Namu? He was a disguise for me to get closer to Yugi....a disguise which was discovered sooner than I'd imagined." Marik averted his gaze to you with a glare. Mai immediately wrapped her arms around you protectively and Yami stood,

"Watch your moves, Marik." Yami hissed, 

"Well, pharaoh. It's nice to finally meet you face to face." Marik's eyes went back to Yami,

"...Master-" The servant pleaded, 

"Now I can finish the job my pathetic servants couldn't." Marik seethed with a frown, then soon smirked once more, "Soon, your Millenium puzzle and power will be right where it belongs." As Yami spoke, you felt pure malice oozing as a third eye briefly appeared. It seemed you weren't the only one who noticed, Yami froze in place and Marik started to groan in pain once more; his hands holding his head.

"Oh no..." The servant mumbled, "...I was afraid of this, you're all in danger!" 

"What do you mean?" Joey asked,

"Master Marik has a darker side....one that I can no longer contain..." The servant looked to be slipping out of consciousness, "It's too late now.." Those were his last words as he fell limp in Joey's arms. 

_'For some reason...'_ you raised an eyebrow, _'...this is very much like some soap opera.'_

Marik's loud groans got your attention as his groans kept getting louder - soon turned to screaming. His head shot up as he screamed in agony, then soon stopped and simply stared up at the sky. 

"...Marik, what's going on?" Yami asked as Marik laughed darkly and drooped his head down once more. There was definitely a lot more malice than 5 minutes ago, and the third eye on his forehead didn't make it any better looking. 

"I'm finally free again~" Marik smirked, "Which means I can have things go my way. I have been locked away for so many years thanks to that filthy Odion." 

"...Who are you." Yami asked,

"I am the true Marik, and I will be the one to strip your powers to become the true pharaoh I was destined to be~" Marik responded, "So be prepared, Pharaoh, cause when I am done with you, that puzzle will be around my neck where it belongs. Then you will suffer the rest of eternity in darkness, as so will your friends and Odion of course." Marik's eyes scanned Yami's friends but for some reason, skipped you. 

"Get a life." Joey hissed,

"You fool, because of Odion's failure not only do I have a life, but I now know that only a selected few can handle the power of the Egyptian Gods...and Kaiba is one." 

"I'm sick of hearing this Egyptian fairy tale, I wield Obelisk because I am the strongest duelist." Kaiba rolled his eyes,

"Don't deny your ancient past. You can never ignore your history, you'll learn someday Kaiba." Marik shook his head, "You are much more involved with our ancient history, whether you like it or not. So, let's begin the tournament to get ahold of the Pharaoh's power, shall we?" Marik smirked as the duel finally put its end and everyone was sent back inside. However, Yami immediately darted over to you and took you from Mai,

"Thank you Mai," Yami thanked and with a glare to Marik, took you inside the moment the opportunity arose. 

"Yeah...no problem.." Mai narrowed her eyes as she watched Yami. She knew by holding you of how weak and ill you really were, although she didn't know why or how you got to be like that in less than a duel. Marik laughed and slowly walked back inside the blimp and everyone watched in horror and disgust.

"I don't like that guy, not at all." Duke growled, "He's creepy as hell." 

"Tell me about it." Mai narrowed her eyes, 

"We need another medical team here stat," Joey looked at the guard, "Odion needs it."

"We're sending it, don't worry." The guard assured as Tea bit her lip. She was worried about Yami and Yugi, after all, Marik's main target is Yami. 

"Y-Yugi-" Tea turned to Yami's direction but found him to be gone, "Wh...Where did Yugi go?"

"You didn't see?" Mai smirked, "Yugi practically bounced with (y/n) the moment the coast was clear." 

"He did?" Tristan gasped as he looked over, "You're right," 

"To be fair," Joey's eyes narrowed, "(y/n) didn't look too good. He probably took her to his room or the nurse." 

"I knew it, she did look really pale." Duke nodded, 

"She looked like she was gonna pass out when I was talking with her and Yami about Marik." Mai added, "He was holding her in place so she wouldn't fall." 

"Aw man are you serious?" Joey gasped and watched Mai nod, 

"Yeah, she got super dizzy throughout the duel." Mai explained and looked down on her arms to see a light shade of red. Her eyes widened when she saw, but she slowly hid them from view. 

"I hope she's okay..." Serenity looked down and bit her lip, "This whole tournament is really intense." 

"Ya got me there sis," Joey nodded as the medical team came in, "Let's head over to the medical center and see what's up with him." He referred to Odion. 

Meanwhile, Yami took you to the medical center and sat you down on one of the beds. For some strange reason, there was no medical professional there, so it was just you and Yami. 

"You're gonna stay here, okay?" He firmly pressed your shoulders in the bed,

"What're you gonna do?" You blinked,

"Don't think I'm blind, (y/n)." Yami sneered, "Your back is bleeding." 

_...Oh no._

_No no no, no no no._

You turned pale and your arms went behind you. There's no way in hell you're gonna let Yami look at your back. You're not gonna have his eyes destroyed and possibly have the Seal overreact as it did with Pegasus. 

"Take off your jacket, (y/n)." Yami frowned as he walked over to the drawer and pulled out bandages, "At least let me see the damage." 

_Oh hell no._ You shook your head intensely with tears brimming your eyes - your heart now screaming as loudly as your back. 

_"(y/n)."_ Yami was stern, "Don't make me force you to. You're injured." 

You continued to shake your head, _please, please anyone, tell him no, tell him to stop._

"...I..I can take care of it." You whimpered, 

"You don't look to be able to take care of it. At least take off your coat, (y/n)." Yami insisted as he approached you. For once since you met Yami, you flinched and leaned back a little only to stop because of your back. You were terrified to even look to see how it looked, cause if Yami could see it...

 _'Please, don't let him see it....don't let him see it please I beg of you'_ You pleaded to basically anyone who could hear you. 

Yami looked annoyed as he gripped your shoulders, "I understand if you're uncomfortable with someone the opposite sex to be seeing your bareback, but you need to understand that you're bleeding _badly_ , (y/n). If it goes untended, you will slip to unconsciousness and you won't be able to duel at all in the finals." Yami growled as his grip on your shoulders squeezed, "At least take off your coat so I could see how bad it is." 

You were so paralyzed with fear you couldn't even speak. Your breath started to tighten and your lungs began to scream. Your back didn't seem to help as you began to feel your eye throb. 

_Anything but this...please anything but this...at least cover it from him so he doesn't see,_ You started to plead to the Seal for the first time.

You've never done this before.

_Please, don't let him see. Please, please! I'll do anything for you, I'll give you anything!_

Yami narrowed his eyes and knelt down to your eye level, "(y/n), please listen and stay with me here." He whispered, "I know it's uncomfortable, but please understand that I'm doing this to help as a.." He gulped and looked down, "....nevermind that last part, actually. I'm only trying to help you stay with us for the finals. I don't even want to think about seeing you lying in your bed unable to move or be awake." He looked back up at you and gripped your coat,   
"please, at least do it for me." 

You stared at him with paralyzed fear, could you even have the heart to say no? Looking at how worried he is, but the risk of him finding out about the Seal is real. You looked down on your lap, you knew if you kept saying no, you'll progressively get worse, and who knows when you'll be seeing that mass again. 

But what about the Seal on your back? 

Yami seemed to be waiting patiently for your response, he isn't forcing it off your back as he warned he would, so maybe he won't do it? 

That's a really dumb thing to think, he's adamant to do it. 

This is too quick, you mentally groaned as you slowly nodded, already trying to figure out a way to tell Yami and Yugi about the Seal of Orichalcos. You didn't want this, you definitely didn't. You had to hold back tears as Yami removed your coat,

"Just a second." Yami rose and immediately took out a bowl and filled it with hot water while looking for any antibacterial cream, which was easy for him to find. Pulling out anti-bacterial soap, he walked back and placed it on the desk beside you. Glancing over at your back, you watched him flinch and narrow his eyes with more worry. He walked over to the side of the room and pushed the curtains over the bed, covering you and Yami from the outside of the room. 

"For privacy," Yami said as he sat behind you and held the bottom of your shirt, "....May I?" 

You slowly nodded, already preparing the first half of the upcoming story-telling you're gonna be forced to tell Yami. You were already picturing Yami's reaction to seeing your back. He'd probably be panicked and demand to know what happened or something, knowing him. You felt your shirt being lifted as Yami folded it and put it next to the hot bowl. He used a large towel and placed it beneath your back and onto the bed to prevent the bed from getting wet. You clenched your fists and closed your eyes shut, _here we go....._ only to hear nothing.

"I don't know how your back got this bad," Yami muttered, "Did anyone hurt you? Don't tell me Bakura did." 

_....what the?_ That wasn't the reaction you were expecting. Your eye shot open as your eyebrows furrowed, how can he not be so panicked right now? 

_**"you're welcome."** _

You widened your eyes as you soon realized why Yami wasn't reacting. 

_...How did you do it._

**_"It's easy to blind the eye from the truth. Besides, it's not the time for him to see."_ **

Tears went down your cheeks as you nodded,

_....thank you..._

"So I was right, it was Bakura." Yami mumbled as he pressed a towel against the warm water and gently put it on your back - the places that he saw were bleeding of course. Blinking, you had to think of something to continue the cover-up. 

"U...Uh...n-not really though." You shook your head, "It's uh..." You tried thinking of something that you could quickly tie it to now, "...w-when Joey was possessed by Marik." 

"Hm?" Yami perked up, "...oh yes, that's right. You did mention your back when I met up with you." Yami nodded as he put soap on the towel and lightly pressed it on your back. Feeling the sting, you flinched,

"Sorry (y/n), it's going to hurt. I should've warned you before I started." You could feel Yami's eyes soften, "(Y/n), if you're in pain, you should really open up and be honest about it. The more you hide yourself from others, the more pain you'll get." 

"A..ah....yeah." You nodded and clenched your fists, your whole body shaking at this point. Moments later, the doors opened as you soon heard everyone else come in,

"How is Odion?" You heard Joey ask. You tense up, what if they walk in on you or something? Oh Lord you felt dizzy,

"Don't worry, they're not going to walk in. Remember I closed the curtain?" Yami whispered, "Just stay quiet, I want to hear what's going on." 

"He's...in a coma due to the mental stress." The doctor sighed,

"...where was this doctor when we came in?" You whispered,

"No clue." Yami quietly sighed, 

"Well dang, I wish I could take a nap," Joey mumbled,

"He's in a critical condition Joey, you're lucky you're still standing." Tea reminded him, 

"Got a good point, we were literally in the same position, but I am just fine," Joey responded, 

"except all the brain damage you got." Tristan shrugged,

"Zip it." Joey hissed which had you and Yami quietly laugh,

"But even so, we won't be able to figure out who this guy is till he wakes up," Duke spoke up,

"...well, there is one thing. He stayed to make sure to protect Marik till the very end." 

"And for what?!" Joey growled, "Odion's lying around in a coma and Marik doesn't even come to visit?!" 

"What did you expect Marik to do, bring some flowers?" Mai asked, "...Poor Odion, it's times like these when you're the lowest where you really need your friends." 

"Exactly." Yami quietly nodded, 

"Wait that's it! Friends!" Joey chirped, "Its cause of you guys I was able to wake up! Get this, I had a dream that you guys were rooting for me, and you guys encouraged me to stand and I did. It's 'cause of friendship I got up!" 

"...that's so cringey." You mumbled Yami quietly chuckled, rinsing the towel again to rinse your back. 

"Wow Joey that's very touching, almost like the one dream you had with vanilla pudding and that monkey~" Tristan sarcastically responded. 

"Why you!" Joey growled as you heard a mini fight going on. 

Yami finished up your back and got up, putting the wet towel in the bowl.  
"Let me get you another towel to dry you up, then we'll go to your room to get a new outfit." He whispered as he covered his side vision when he walked near the exit and slipped out of the curtains,

"Wh- YUGI?!" Tristan gasped, "What are you doing here?" 

"Just taking care of someone." Yami calmly responded as he folded the bloody towel to prevent anyone from seeing. 

"Wh- From in there?" Duke pointed to the curtain, 

"Yes, and please don't go in." Yami asked as he turned on the sink and rinsed the towel, "I'm not exactly done yet." 

"Wait, (y/n)'s in there right?" Tea asked and watched Yami nod. 

"Oh, hey (y/n)!" Joey looked at the closed curtain, "How's it going?" 

"Joey you're at a high level of cringe." You responded, "Friendship isn't gonna wake Odion up ya know." 

Joey's cheeks went red as Serenity, Duke, and Tristan laughed. 

Mai's eyes narrowed when she saw the color red on the floor of the sink, she knew what Yami was doing. Mai walked over and gave him another large dry towel. 

"Oh, thank you-" Yami reached to take it but froze when he saw Mai's arms. 

"Is she okay?" Mai asked, 

"...Yes, she is." Yami nodded and took the dry towel, "Excuuuse me. I'll join you guys over at the main lobby momentarily." He walked back to the curtain and before he walked in, he covered his eyes with the towel. Duke saw that and widened his eyes,

 _"...Holy shit.."_ Duke whispered, " _...(y/n)'s probably naked."_

Tristan heard and immediately smacked his mouth with his hand. "...how?" Tristan asked,

"Why else would he cover his eyes?" Duke whispered with a wide smirk, 

"Oh stop it you two, you're so immature. C'mon let's head to the main lobby." Mai rolled her eyes.

When Yami walked in, you couldn't help but hold back a laugh,

"Laugh all you want, (y/n)." Yami smiled a little as he walked behind you and gently dried your back. He later applied the cream to your back and wrapped the towel around your back. Once he was done, he pulled out your coat. 

"For now, I am gonna put this around you. Let's head to your room, shall we?" Yami asked as he helped you get up. 

"Hey Joey?" You and Yami heard Mai, 

"yeah?" Joey asked

"About your dream..." 

"Which one?" Joey asked nervously,

"Not the one with the monkey, the other one with your friends." Mai laughed, "Was I in there?" 

"I...uhh....nope! Definitely not Mai! Nope, not at all...ahahaha....ya know maybe next time - ya know my dreams are very mixed with cars...and....and flamed soldiers and...and...uh....n-normal guy stuff soI'llseeyoulater." Joey nervously answered, 

"...She was _totally_ in his dreams." You laughed,

"Hush (y/n)," Yami said through laughter, "let's go, alright?" 

"Alright, alright." You nodded as you buttoned your coat while Yami held your shoulders from behind. You took the folded bloody shirt and opened the curtain to see Tea and Maiwatching,

"oh, hi Tea." You blinked and waved,

"...you okay?" Tea asked, 

"Yes, she is." Yami nodded, "I am taking her to her room so she can change. We'll meet with the rest of you guys in a little bit." 

Tea frowned, "...what do you mean change?" 

"Well her clothes aren't the in the best condition right now." Yami responded with a cocked eyebrow, "I am not gonna let her wear the same clothes. So, we'll see you-"

"wait-" Tea's eyes lightened up, "...Is it alright if I come with you guys?" 

Both you and Yami blinked in response, "...uh," You blinked,

"Well, technically I haven't seen (y/n)'s room yet, and if she's injured-"

"Tea why don't you go along with Joey and everyone else?" Mai walked over next to you, "I'll go with (y/n) and Yugi." 

"...but-" 

"Besides, I bet Joey would want to see you more than me, so might as well." Mai shrugged. 

It was obvious. You and Tea could tell. Mai's upset. 

"...okay, be safe (y/n)." Tea said and stormed off, clearly pissed. You assumed it was because of Joey's stupid answer. 

"I uh...sense an awkward mom-" Yami nervously said

"Let's go already." Mai sighed and thus you, Mai, and Yami walked over to your room. 

"Hey, Mai?" You looked at her,

"Hm?" 

"Joey totally dreamt of you." You smirked and watched Mai scoff,

"I don't care." 

"You suuree?" You raised an eyebrow,

"For crying out loud (y/n)," Mai pouted, "I couldn't care less about if I was in some stupid dream. Besides, I don't need friends." 

Yami raised an eyebrow, "...usually when Joey lies he tends to talk fast and lost focus in what he's saying." 

"Figured." You sighed as you reached your door.

"I'll wait here, go back and change." Yami rested his back against the wall near your door, "You two go on." 

"Don't wanna peak~?" Mai teased with a smirk and watched Yami's face go slightly red,

"...I have boundaries, Mai." 

"Cap." Mai grinned and walked in to gasp loudly, "(y/n) are you some type of princess?!" 

"I ask myself that every day." You sighed as you closed the door behind you. 

"Well, might as well start with the whole changing thing - strip my darling~" Mai smirked as she practically ripped off your coat. You gave a yelp and covered your chest, 

" _My my~ Yugi is gonna be lucky!_ " Mai spoke as she went straight to your drawers to pull a new set of clothes, "Now now, let's see what clothes should I giveee? Ooo I like this blue shirt!" She pulled a long-sleeved navy blue shirt with golden laced pattern all over it. "Yup, totally this one- ooh, we need a bra too. Stupid Yugi made it wet and I'm sure the blood messed it up too....let me see what bras you have~" She dug through with a grin on her face then frowned, "...your bras are a little too basic, but they are good. Let me tell you (y/n) once we're done with this tournament we're going on a spree." She pulled out a simple black bra and practically ran over to you with a grin, "Alright darling, let's dress up!" 

"W-W-Wait, sh-shouldn't we bandage my back before I change?" You asked, "J-Just in case?" 

"Oh yeah, you're right." Mai frowned as she ran to the bathroom with a smirk, "(y/n) if at some point you find me in your room later just ignore me alright?" 

"A-Alright," You giggled as Mai ran back with bandages, 

"Alright darling, even I have boundaries so I'll be behind you here~ Ooh...your back is a mess but Yugi did a great job with taking care of it!" Mai clipped off your bra and began to bandage. 

You were 100% uncomfortable. Totally. 100%. You wanted to crawl in the corner and die on the spot. 

"Ya know you worried me when you were bleeding." Mai said as she wrapped your back, 

"I didn't mean to.." You mumbled,

"If you're in pain man just go out and complain! Don't hide it or it's gonna get worse." Mai frowned as she tied the bandage up and tore it from the roll. She took the bra and helped you clip it all while behind you. 

"...Mai," You bit your lip,

"Mhm?" Mai went to your bed to take out the blue shirt all while sitting on your bed.

"....y-you're my f-friend." Your cheeks went a little red, "a....and I-I never h-had friends s-s-so...e-even though when we first met i-it was a little off, I consider you as a friend." 

Mai simply stared at you then gave a warm smile, "...thanks (y/n)." 

Face red, you nodded and let her put on your shirt. Once that was done, Mai hummed as she walked to your drawers and pulled a green coat. 

"It'll look good with the shirt and for the cold." Mai helped you put it on and with that you were finished. You and Mai walked out the door to find Yami staring at you, 

"...Mai, you're rather _loud_." Yami glanced at Mai,

"I am loud when I find a purpose~" Mai winked and linked arms with you, "Now let's go to the next duel~!" 

The walk to the main lobby was a lot more positive than how it was on the way to your room, and Yami could tell. Once the three of you made it to the main lobby where the next duelists were confirmed. 

Mai and Marik. 

You were pale when it was announced and held Mai's arm tightly. For some reason, other than Yugi, you felt more connected with Mai. She seemed to think the same for she tightened her arm around yours as well. 

"I'll be fine." Mai assured as she rubbed your arm, "You'll be seeing me in your bed tonight that's for sure I deserve a luxurious night~" 

"okay." You nodded as she gave you a quick gentle hug and walked with Marik over to the elevator. Yami walked over and wrapped his arms around your back, 

"She'll be fine. She'll win." Yami whispered as he walked with you up the stairs and over to the arena to watch the duel. 

If only she actually won. You were horrified when Yami Marik not only made the duel a shadow game, but forced Mai to lose her memories for each hit she received by Marik. For each memory she lost, you felt your heart drop and tears were threatening to fall once more. Possibly the only person you actually felt close with besides Yugi was disappearing right in front of you even though she was right there. She was going to lose, it was a fact, even if she was so close. Marik had the Egyptian God Card the Winged Dragon of Ra on his side, ready to strike. Joey had already ran up to her and pleaded her to get out of the chains she was forced in. You needed to go and help her just as much as Joey was, you couldn't stand just waiting around for the duel to end but it was against the rules. 

_But Joey broke the rules...._ you bit your lip and clenched your fists, _if Joey can break the rules why can't you?_

 _ **"Don't go. You'll make it worse and the outcome won't change. Don't waste your time."**_

Your fists shook in rage, you knew that.. _.but what's the harm in going anyway?_

 _ **"Don't. Waste. Your. Time."**_ Your head began to pound as the Winged Dragon of Ra was ready to strike at Mai, thus finishing the game. 

Then the complete unexpected happened. It was so sudden you had to blink to make sure you were correct. Yami dove in and ran in front of Joey and Mai to take the damage the Winged Dragon of Ra was blowing. You froze in place, completely paralyzed as Marik roared in laughter as he found it amusing that Yami was being hurt rather than Mai. 

"Don't even bother trying to withstand it, Pharaoh! You can't withstand the endless power from the most powerful monster to step foot in this world!" Marik laughed as the Winged Dragon of Ra overwhelmed Yami and sent him to the floor unconscious. 

You stared at Yami in shock as Marik laughed, "I win this duel, don't I?" 

"YUGI PLEASE GET UP!" Tea gasped as the guard next to Marik stumbled a bit,

"Y-Yes, the winner of this duel is Marik!" The guard announced as Marik slowly approached the 3. 

Your heart pounded in an emotion you've never felt before, but whatever it was you could tell the Seal was thriving off of it once more. Hearing the distant growl again but closer, you bolted to the arena and pulled yourself up, not even caring about your back at this point. Before Marik could even reach Yami you dove towards him and wrapped your arms around him protectively. Your back seethed in pain and your eye was pounding but you didn't care. Marik stopped and stared at you with unreadable eyes. 

"You aren't even gon' touch Yugi!" Joey hissed,

"...I'm not. I still need him. Besides, I don't want to mess with her." Marik responded as he referred to you. You growled in reply, feeling your back pound more, you could even feel the blood return but you didn't care. You tightened your grip on Yami as Marik slowly turned to Joey, 

"But you? You need to learn to not intrude other people's business." He smirked as his third eye glowed, "This should keep you still." He mocked as he froze Joey in place. With that, he walked towards Mai with a smirk, 

"J-Joey! What did you do to him?" Mai yelled,

"You and I need to have a little talk~. After all, you still have my Egyptian God Card and I have a promise to fulfill." Marik kneeled down to Mai's level.

 _"DON'T TOUCH HER."_ You roared as your back started to glow a light green color. Marik froze and stared at you,

"....you're lucky I am not going to touch you. Besides, Mai is basically asking for it." Marik narrowed his eyes, "So to prevent any sort of misfortune for the _both_ of us," He glanced at everyone else who stared in both rage and horror, "it's best to just be with the Pharaoh, _little Mrs. Orichalcos._ " 

You stiffened and stared at Marik in absolute panic as Marik turned back to Mai. Your heart started to pound even more and now you began to feel your back. 

What's wrong with you now a days? Why is your back like this? 

After a few whispers, you watched Marik pull out the Millenium Rod and shine it on her. Moments later she was on the floor. 

"MAI!" You screamed as Joey finally managed to move, 

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER." 

"I sent her over to the Shadow Realm. For every second she stays there she forgets more. The Shadow Realm will take everything away from her, from her brain to her heart." He laughed,

"THEN LET'S GO MAN. ONE ON ONE, NOW." Joey hissed,

"You fool, fight me now and you'll be the same as her." Marik smirked,

"LET IT GO JOEY." Serenity screamed,

"HE'S A PSYCHO JOEY." Tristan added as Marik walked away from the arena. Holding Yami tight, you watched Marik in absolute disgust and horror, then soon at Mai, who Joey was holding tight in his arms. Everyone ran to the stage, Tristan ran to Joey while Tea, Serenity, and Duke ran to you and Yami. You still held him tight, trembling as you stared at Mai.

If you hadn't been so useless...Mai would've still been here. Maybe if you took that effort like Joey, you would've done something. Why did you just stand and wait? _Why? Why why why why-_

"...(y/n)..?" Yami groaned. Startled, you looked down to see Yami slowly regaining consciousness. 

"Yugi! H-He's waking up!" Serenity gasped,

"Yug, you alright?" Joey turned to Yami who slowly rose from your protective grip. 

"I am fine. How are you and Mai?" Yami asked as you held his shoulders. 

"I'm fine, but not Mai. Marik pulled her into something freaky, he trapped her brains in the shadows." Joey responded,

"Yeah! He said it's gonna remove her memories!" Tea nodded,

"Alright you geeks, clear the field. The next duel must begin." Kaiba came in,

"Kaiba." Yami hissed,

"Save it Yugi. It's my turn to duel and I need the torment to begin." Kaiba snapped, as Joey picked up Mai, 

"I prefer Mai to be literally anywhere else as long as dirt isn't around." Joey seethed as he stared at Kaiba. "I'm takin' her to the medical room." 

Yami soon realized your shaking hands and turned to you immediately, "(y/n)." He held your hands and stared at you. 

"C'mon Yugi." Tea took his shoulder and helped him up. Yami looked at Tea, sneered at her for a bit, then knelt down to you. "(y/n), let's go." 

You couldn't think of anything besides of how useless you have been. You mindlessly complied, taking Yami's hands as he pulled you up. He knew, it was so obvious to him of what you were thinking, even if no one noticed. 

Once you and the others made it to the medical field where Mai was put, you sat on the chair next to her in silence. Yami stood behind you and gently held your shoulders. 

"Joey, she's not waking up." Serenity pulled a stool next to you and held Mai's hand. 

"Mai..." Joey mumbled, 

"She can't hear you...Marik trapped her mind in the Shadow Realm." Tea spoke.

Don't remind me. 

"This whole duel is going too far, ya wanna know why?" Joey growled,

"Cause we have a psychopath here with us?" Duke asked as Tea and Tristan stared at him. "..just saying..." 

Serenity looked at you and bit her lip. She looked at Yami who silently looked at her. She scooted a little closer to you and rested her hand on yours, "(y/n)? How about you stay with me while everyone else watches the next duel?" 

"What?" Tristan looked at Serenity, "Is that allowed?" 

"She is number nine, she isn't dueling until after Kaiba duels." Joey recalled, "So I don't think it should be a problem...." He glanced over at you, "...besides, I think she should." 

"I think so too." Tea nodded her head, "She should definitely stay." 

Yami glanced at Tea with a cocked eyebrow.

"Alright, I trust ya, alright? Make sure you protect yourself. Let's go guys." Joey turned and soon left the medical room. Everyone else followed except Yami and Tea. Yami rubbed your shoulders, "Mai will be fine, I promise." He kneeled down and gave you a hug from behind, "So don't blame yourself for this, alright?" He whispered as he slowly rose. 

You simply nodded, your mind was blank. Yami was even hesitant to leave, he didn't want to leave you like this. Serenity scooted closer and looked at Yami, giving him an assured look. He simply sighed, ruffled your hair and left with Tea following. 

_"...It's okay to cry."_ Serenity's voice was soft, almost as welcoming as Yami. 

You have no idea how this girl touched you with no physical touch, cause moments later tears were streaming down your face. Serenity softly rested her head on your shoulder. It went like this for close to 10 minutes. After these 10 minutes, you slowly rose from your seat,

"(y/n)?" Serenity looked up, 

"...I'll..." You mumbled, "...be in my room." 

Your heart couldn't take it anymore. Staring at Mai with all the endless thoughts of how useless you were - you couldn't take it anymore. Serenity could, but you? No. Mai trusted you, she loved you, she even said she was gonna sleep with you in your room later on, yet here she is....in the wrong bed. 

"Are you sure? Y-You can stay!" Serenity offered, 

"No." You shook your head, "...thank you." With that, you exited the room and towards your room. Entering your room, you closed the door and stared at the floor. You took the coat and your shirt off to see if there was blood - thankfully there wasn't, but by looking at the mirror the bandages needed to be replaced. Once you did your bandages, you slipped to bed, took off your eye patch, and stared at the view on the side. The view became blurry as you realized you were crying once more and gripped the blanket so no one could hear you from outside. Not like anyone was gonna hear you anyways, but you soon found yourself crying to sleep; something you've accustomed to.

......

It was dark, everything around you was black. You looked and walked around the dark area to find literally nowhere to go. It was almost like you were walking in space or something. 

"H...Hello?" You called out into the endless void to only hear your echo. Frowning, you stopped and looked around to only freeze when you heard a growl come from all directions. You froze, your breath lay short as you quickly tried to find out where the growl was coming from. 

Then you made eye contact with _it_. 

There was an outline of a scaled dragon, with the same yellow eyes the black mass had earlier when Joey fought one of Marik's servants. It growled at you, its black slit staring you down. Although it looked extremely frightening, it felt nostalgic for some reason - nostalgic enough for you to slowly approach it and reach your hand towards it. You felt like it was calling you for something, you could practically taste it. Its head slowly went forward towards your touch, yet the moment you touched it, the ground below you glowed a familiar lime green color. Startled, you took a few steps back and stared at the floor to see the Seal of Orichalcos forming from underneath you. The beast's growl grew and it let out a massive roar, as though it was calling for something. It was so loud as it glared at you, as though it were screaming;

**"Come and get me."**

**_===================================_** ==

** Season 2 Finale **

**_~Ending; ~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	22. Season 3; Episode 1

_**~Opening; ~** _

_**====================================** _

You woke up with cold sweat running down your face, your back lightly stung as you quickly sat up. Your ears rang as you stared out into the view to find it was still the middle of the night. 

'What the hell was that?' You thought to yourself as you wrapped your arms around yourself and stared at the bedsheets. For some reason, even though whatever you saw seemed scary...it almost seemed welcoming. 

You shook your head as your face fell to your hands, this room is suffocating you, maybe you need some fresh air or something. It took a while, but you slowly left your bed and made your way outside. Winds brushed through your entire body as you walked to the night sky. You silently stood by the entrance for a bit, staring at the empty battlefield with blank eyes already recalling the last duel you saw. 

You were referring to the duel between Mai and Marik. 

You stared at the field, already feeling the same feeling you felt as you watched Mai's life points get to zero and Yami rushing to protect both her and Joey. The anger you felt...you never felt that before in your entire life. Not to mention the weird dragon that appeared in your dreams appearing before you in some kind of smoke. Your eye darted over to the clouds, time setting you back to remember the growl and its yellow slits staring at you. You still have no idea what that was. 

Taking a huge quiet sigh, you lean forward against the railing and stare down at the view of the city which was covered by the clouds. The winds pushing through your whole body, sending you shivers down your spine but for some strange reason, you loved it. 

It felt so nice being alone, you could see why at first Mai didn't want friends. 

Mai....you really wanted to see her but you knew it'd break your heart even more seeing her condition. You took a deep breath at the cold air, taking in the silent area with nothing but the winds.

 _"You'll catch a cold._ " You heard an unknown voice call you. Startling you, you immediately turn to find the source of the voice to find a tan man standing before you. His head was covered with a white turban that came with a long white scarf that went across his chest and wore a light nude robe that came with a long golden key that oozed millennium energy. 

"...that's a Millennium item isn't it?" You stared at the large golden key as the man nodded.

"Indeed it is, Queen (y/n)." The man confirmed. 

You scrunched your face, "....Did...did you just call me-" 

"Queen (Y/N), I can't help but be concerned for you." The man narrowed his pale blue eyes, "You are in danger and you shouldn't be here." 

"But...I am..literally in a tournament?" You raised an eyebrow, "Unless you're referring "here" to outside, like, right here, understandable but-"

"The Seal is getting impatient." The man's eyebrows furrowed as you turned pale, 

"...I...do not know what you're talking about." You crossed your arms and looked back at the view uncomfortably. How the hell does this guy know about the Seal? Is knowledge of the Seal just some bargain sale or something? You carefully touched your eye and turned pale when you realized you forgot your eyepatch. 

"...My Queen, I am Shadi, an ancient spirit who has guarded the tombs of Egypt for over 5,000 years." Shadi introduced himself as he bowed in one knee. Blinking in shock you looked back at Shadi with wide eyes,

"....You.....you look at least 20 though-" 

"Listen, my Queen, your life is in danger." Shadi spoke sternly, "The Seal is growing impatient and the Great Leviathan is starting to arise once more." 

"...sorry come again?" You blinked, 

"You must take the Great Leviathan and make sure it doesn't go to the wrong hands, as you are the rightful owner." Shadi continued, "Or else the world is to fall in the clutch for despair and vengeance." 

"Oookayyy...uhh.." you uncomfortably shifted, "Wh...what's up with the bow-" 

"My Queen, it's time for you to separate paths from this tournament, for there is much evil to come that only you can conquer." Shadi looked up at you with a stern look, "Even if you do not know of anything I am saying, I know deep down you know just what to do, as so does the Seal. It is your destiny." 

"...pardon?" You squeaked as your heart sank, what in the world is he going on about this destiny? 

"You cannot waste time here, you may risk the lives of those closest to you and you may not even realize it." Shadi looked up, "But not to worry, for if done correctly, the Great Leviathan will come at ease with its rightful owner and all will be calm." 

You rubbed your eyes as you stared for far too long, and as you did so you nervously chuckled, "I'm...confused. Shadi what are you-" You look up to find no one bowing before you. Shadi is gone and the sun slowly began to rise to start the day. 

"...what...the hell was that." You bit your lip and stared at the spot where Shadi was. "...I...I am here for tournaments and playing card games. What the hell is he talking about?" You laughed at yourself in disbelief, "....Great Leviathan? What in the world is a Great Leviatha-" 

You paused and stared at the floor as a quick image of the beast in your dream popped up in your head. Gasping, you recalled your dream and covered your mouth with your hand. 

_Rightful ownership to the Great Leviathan? Is the Great Leviathan the giant beast I saw-_

You got the horrible feeling of being watched and you quickly looked around the area to find nothing but darkness and the clouds hovering over the city. Your heart began to speed in pace as you clenched your chest, already terrified. What a great start to the day, you hoped nothing could get worse from here! 

Just as you thought that the entire blimp began to rumble. Grasping onto the rails, you stared at the floor in absolute shock - one thing after another, no time for breaks you assume. Once the rumbling stopped, you ran back inside the blimp and straight to your room to get your eye patch and dueling set. After quickly changing clothes to a long-sleeved baggy green shirt and black leggings, you quickly walked to the piolets to see what the hell was going on. On the way, you saw Kaiba rush out,

"You felt that too, right?" Kaiba asked and watched you nod, "Come on." He grabbed your arm and rushed you over to the central room. 

"What is going on?" Kaiba asked

"We're losing control of the ship." Mokuba answered, "The blimp is changing directions on its own!" 

From the frontal view being a tall, sharp building, you could see the building slowly leaving sight of being the main location. 

"That's impossible, how can that happen?!" Kaiba hissed,

"I don't know!" A security guard responded, "It's as if the auto pilot was reprogrammed!" 

"Then shut it down?" You compromised,

"And do it right now." Kaiba hissed as the doors opened once more,

"Hey, what's up with da turbulence?" Joey asked,

"Yeah, some of us like to sleep past 5." Tristian groaned. 

The blimp continued to turn around which caused another rumbling, 

"The autopilot isn't responding!" The guard spoke,

"Make it respond!" Kaiba hissed,

"What's happening?" Yugi asked,

"Uh, location issues." You briefly answered, 

"It's rejecting every command I give!" The guard warned, "What should I do?" 

"I pay you good money, now do whatever it takes to get us back to Kaiba Corp Island." Kaiba responded,

"That pile of junk?" Tristan asked,

"Hey! That isn't a pile of junk! That's where our company started!" Mokuba glared at Tristan, 

"That's the final dueling sight?" You asked,

"It is," Kaiba responded, "It was built from the ruins of my step father's empire. It symbolizes new over old." 

"Kaiba Corp wasn't always a game company, before, under our stepfather's rule, it gave high tech weapons of war, This changed when Seto took charge. That island used to be the central headquarters and Kaiba tore it down and built the Duel Tower in place as the start of the new Kaiba Corp." Mokuba explained,

"Mokuba enough. We don't talk about personal business like this." Kaiba glanced at his brother.

"I think we hit a soft spot." Joey mumbled as Serenity approached you

"(y/n)?" Serenity whispered and you turned to look at her,

"Mhm?" You asked

"...Are you alright?" Serenity asked with worry, 

You blinked, trying to remember what happened to have Serenity ask such a -

Oh shoot with Mai, you walked out the door. 

"Oh..." You perked up, recalling how you walked out, "...yeah, yeah don't worry too much about it." You assured,

"We got it Mr. Kaiba." The guard spoke, "The unknown signal is coming from outside, someone hacked in the mainframe and changed our destination coordinates." 

"that's new." You blinked, "I thought security was major top-class." 

"It is!" Mokuba nodded as the ship began to descend rapidly. Out of reflex, you wrapped your arms protectively around Serenity to make sure nothing happens to her and stared at the view as the blimp headed towards the ocean. 

You have no idea what's happening or why the blimp is acting like this - 

A thought popped in your mind, what if the Seal is doing this? You recalled Shadi's words from earlier;

**_"You cannot waste time here, you may risk the lives of those closest to you and you may not even realize it."_ **

Is he referring to now? Like, right now? Is the blimp sinking and acting like this because of you being here when you apparently shouldn't? 

Just as you thought that you felt your eye sting and felt a push up from below the blimp. Within moments, the blimp was in stable condition but still heading to an unknown location. 

"What was that?!" Joey yelped,

"We were being sent to the sea but something unknown pushed us back up." The guard explained, 

"What like a bounce house?!" Tristan narrowed his eyes, "This is the literal sea, what could make us bounce?" 

_**"I didn't do this for you. I did it for your safety."** _

You perked up and touched your eyepatch, _so it wasn't you who is messing this up?_

 ** _"I have no time for such foolishness. Leave once the blimp lands I will take care of the rest."_**

"What? Right now?" You accidentally asked out loud and covered your mouth once you said it. 

"Huh? What's that?" Joey asked as he looked at you. 

"Oh..." You blinked, realizing you were still protectively holding Serenity, and let go of her, "...Nothing." 

"Th-Thanks (y/n)." Serenity thanked, 

"yeah no problem." You nodded as the screen blurred from the building to some kid with blue hair. 

"Greetings duelists." The boy spoke through the cameras. For some reason, he talks like he's some rich kid. 

"There is nothing wrong with your television set. I am in control now." The boy sneered,

"Identify yourself right now." Seto hissed,

"Always making demands now, are you?" The boy sneered and smirked at Seto, "I've been observing you, and it's finally time to put you in your place, Seto!" 

"...what in the? What is this some form of family feud?" You sneered,

"We are not related." Seto glanced at you,

"You two do look alike though." You looked at the boy then back at Seto, "Just he has blue hair-" 

"We are not related." Seto repeated himself with a blank face as he stared at you. 

"I will be taking charge now, and the first thing I will do is end this little card game." The boy snarked, 

"You won't get away with this!" Mokuba sneered,

"I already have." The boy replied,

"I demand to know your name, Kid." Kaiba hissed,

"Hahhhh, demanding as usual." The boy rolled his eyes, "Very well, my name is Noah, and you and I go quite a long way back, Seto." 

"Like the ark?" You tilted your head and got a light elbow from Joey. 

"Wrong time." Joey tried his best to hide his laughter. 

"So there _is_ family drama.." Duke whispered, 

"We're not related to him," Mokuba responded to Duke. 

"Enough with the games." Kaiba hissed,

"My little games have merely just begun, Seto!" Noah replied and immediately left the screen. You couldn't help but sneer at Kaiba; Noah looks a bit too much like Kaiba....and certainly acts like him. 

"....you sure you're not-" 

"NO (y/n)." Seto stared at you, "We are NOT related to him." 

Just as he said that, the water ahead began to rumble and suddenly a high-tech metal fortress appeared before everyone. It kept rising into view as the blimp got pulled into the location,

"It seems like we really are playing his game." You sighed, looks like you can't do any destiny at the moment. 

"Are we gonna be safe, Joey?" Serenity asked as the blimp got inside the fortress, 

"Yeah, as long as I am here you're good." Joey held his sister's hands. 

You were honestly too tired and confused for this bull. First some ancient spirit tells you there's some giant beast that's gonna ruin the world and you have to claim it cause you're the "rightful owner" and now some kid has some issues and is not letting the tournament continue? 

As soon as the blimp landed inside the fortress, Noah came back online, "Thanks for dropping by, Seto. Now you and your friends must leave the blimp." 

"We didn't drop by though-" You blinked

"And if we say no?" Kaiba asked and Noah giggled,

"Refusal isn't an option thanks to my stun phasers!" Noah smirked in reply as weapons sprung from the walls of the fortress. 

"...Stun phasers?" You raised an eyebrow, "What the hell is a stun phaser?" 

"It stuns you." Duke responded.

"Wh..." You blinked in confusion, "...He..he could've just used guns.." 

"This kids nuts!" Joey gasped as Kaiba began to leave the ship, 

"Wait! Kaiba!" Yugi called out Kaiba and tried to follow,

"This is my battle Yugi. No one is to leave the ship." Kaiba hissed,

"Wait, Seto!" Mokuba ran to his brother,

"Mokuba I said what I said. No one is leaving the ship. Noah, any objections?" Kaiba asked,

"Just one." Noah replied as the stun phasers began to hit the ship. You blinked and watched it bounce back despite everyone ducking and covering

"...but...it isn't even hitting us...and it's not even dangerous..?" You blinked,

"Care to reconsider your decision, Kaiba?" Noah asked as the guns pulled to a stop, "Now, let me say it again, start from the top. Seto, kindly exit the ship with your friends." 

And so it was done, you and everyone else left the blimp. 

"But....it's basically stun guns?" You muttered to yourself, 

"Leave this to me and we'll be out of this in short time." Kaiba mumbled,

"Hey, this is our business now so its best if you get over yourself." Joey snapped, 

"Now, please walk straight ahead and down the hall." Noah instructed as the door ahead began to open. 

"Serenity, stay here." Joey turned to his sister,

"No. We're siblings and I am not leaving your side." Serenity shook her head

"And Marik is still inside." You mumbled to Joey as you counted heads. "You sure you want her to stay?"

"Crap you're right.." Joey mumbled as everyone walked down the halls. 

"Just what do you want from us, may I ask?" You asked,

"All will be revealed very shortly." Noah responded as the door ahead opened to a large dark room.

"This place is huge..." Tristan mumbled,

"Is there anybody here?" Tea asked as the lights went back on to have 5 elder men standing before you and everyone else.

"It...It can't be!" Kaiba gasped,

"You didn't think we'd come back now did you, Seto Kaiba?" The man in the middle spoke, "We're here for revenge!" 

"....what in the-" You squinted at the men, "...hold on...are these those guys who tried to take Kaiba Corp like a while ago?" You recalled how your grandpa first told you about Seto Kaiba.

"Mhm." Mokuba nodded, 

"Wha?" Joey looked at you, 

"Yeah, all five of them are here." You recalled, "What were their names again?"

"Gansley, Crump, Johnson, Nezbitt, and Leichter." Mokuba responded,

"Oh yeah they trapped Kaiba in the Cyber world!" Joey recalled 

"...they did what?" You turned to Joey 

"Almost right. They were hired by my stepdad as the board of directors, but that wasn't enough power so they tried to destroy me using my own virtual technology and take over my company." Kaiba explained,

"Yeah, then we trapped them in the virtual world instead of Seto." Mokuba nodded,

"......what?" You blinked in shock, honestly at this point you'd take in hearing Yami wearing a bikini at some virtual beach - 

....wait what? 

"You thought you've seen the last of us? We've wandered for what seemed like an eternity wondering for our revenge." One spoke, 

"We managed to find the answer by hacking into Kaiba Corps' main frame." Another added, 

"We found we had the same enemy, which was Seto Kaiba, from which Noah graciously added us to his system." Another spoke,

"...So this is all virtual?" You asked,

"Yes, and that's soon to change once we set our own game." 

"Which is?" You tilted your head, 

"The game is simple; we send you to our world and we challenge you to a duel. If we win, we can go back to the real world using your body." One answered,

"...HUH?" You gasped

"Aww hell nah!" Joey hissed, "No one's takin' my body again!" 

"Now then, shall we commence our special game?" One spoke with a grin,

"Ah, before we forget, we must say that we plan to separate each and every single one of you - so you're all ours with no help!" 

Just as one of the Big Five said that, a black hole opened right below you. Before you realized it, you fell inside the hole which closed right up before anyone could catch you. 

**_"Ego ad unum omnes occidit una ex eis."**_ **

**_======================================_ **

**_** =I am going to kill every single one of them_ **

**_~Ending; ~_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	23. Season 3; Episode 2

**_~Opening; ~ _ **

**_====================================_ **

Noah smirked as he watched over everyone wandering about since they first landed in this virtual world. 

"Everyone is falling into my hands and I've only just begun.." He chuckled to himself as he skimmed through the security cameras, "...now who to attack first? Seto? Joey? Tea?" His eyes scanned every single person but soon landed on one particular person,

"Ah...what greater good would it be to attack the infamous Yugi Motou? Oh, how thrilling it'd be to watch _him_ fall into my virtual creations within my system first! Then everyone else will-" He paused when a red light beamed at him as a warning. 

"Hm? What in the world is this?" Noah's eyebrow quirked as he looked into the warning and widened his eyes upon reading it,

"H...How can this be?!" He gasped as he immediately opened the security line, "How the hell can someone hack into my virtual world so....so _easily?!_ In fact at all?!" He immediately tried getting into the unknown hacker but only got the red screens now all over the room.

"What is this?! Who are you?!" Noah demanded as he heard an evil laugh come from all his screens, as soon the whole room around Noah turned red as alarms blared through all over the room. "Computer! Answer me! Who is this?!" 

The computer did not respond for the first time in a very long time,

"C-COMPUTER I DEMAND YOU TELLING ME THE MEANING BEHIND THIS!" Noah screamed as soon the red screens soon fizzed and soon formed an unknown symbol in front of him,

"Wh...What in the?!" Noah turned pale as he intensely stared at this unknown symbol; it almost looked like a ring with blue wings with snakes as its ending points, along with a weird star crossed over it. Around this weird symbol had 2 golden swords and shields surrounding it, covering 4 sides total. 

"C-Computer! I demand to know who is in charge of this...this weird symbol and why its trying to get in my security system!" Noah got worried, he never got a scare like this - it's his world, how is something...this weird thing getting in so quickly?! This symbol already seized access to all the security cameras,

"A-Any of the Big Five, can you hear me?!" Noah tried reaching the comms to talk to any of the men he included in this world but only got static in return. 

"HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" Noah's voice began to shake as he screamed in the mic. "Ugh...this....this isn't working! Computer?! A-Anyone....?! D...Damn you...HEY! THIS IS MY WORLD YOU IMBECILE!" Noah screamed at the symbol, "GET OUT OF IT!" 

And just like that, the whole room around him turned pitch black. Noah gasped and sank further into his chair, his eyes darting around the pitch black room. _Did...did he do it?_ It's his world, how is it he lost control of it so quickly? As he slowly leaned forward from his chair, he cleared his throat,

"C...Computer, open up the-" He couldn't finish as one giant screen popped up in front of him. He let out a tiny squeak and stared at the screen before realizing it was one of the security cameras. 

"Is...is everything back to normal?" He asked himself as he scanned the security cam to find it eyed on one particular person, who is now not alone. 

"What the..." Noah's eyes widened, "...That.... _who is that?!_ He was never with Seto and the others!" He gasped as he caught the same weird symbol in the corner of the screen. His eyes soon averted back to the main person in the screen, he literally had no other choice but to watch - which he found infuriating. 

......

By the Gods, you hated this. 

You had absolutely no idea what is it that brought you to this weird virtual world but you wanted out of it. Not to mention you were starting to feel really tired. Despite you getting the privilege to sleep, because of you crying to sleep and waking up earlier than usual cause of some nightmare which you found out was your destiny in some form kinda....you'd say make that sleep sound nonexistent? 

Oh to be able to sleep in that room once more with no nightmares this time? At this point, you're willing to accept the nightmares

"as LONG AS I GET OUT OF HERE!!" You exclaimed out loud to yourself with a loud groan. "Gods...I am too tired for all this...first some destiny pops in, saying I need to tame some _dragon_ and now I'm in some virtual world having to fight for my own body - like _this is RIDICULOUS."_ you hissed to yourself as you walked by the forest you were dropped into, "Like, what the hell did I ever do to get in this-" 

_"(y/n)..."_ You could've sworn you heard your name being called but in a very quiet tone. You stopped ranting to yourself and stared into the distance as your legs pulled to a stop. You took short, quiet breaths from all the walking and screaming and your ears opened up real quick to hear the same voice but heard nothing. You could simply ask who's there, but that'd fall into those stereotypical horror movie choices, and everyone knows what happens after that. With that, you simply backed away from the direction of the voice, turned around, and walked in the opposite direction. 

_"....(y/n)..."_ The voice called again but from the direction you were walking towards. Halting once more, you blinked and moved backwards from that direction and started to walk the opposite only to hear the same voice come from _that_ direction -as though it was following you from a mile radius. 

"...this isn't funny you know." You remarked as you looked around the whole area to find some form of being that's causing this weird interaction, "...I'd prefer like, in-person confrontation? That'd be nice, and make sure you're _real_ please?" 

The last thing you wanted is to be scared of some possible prank by one of the Big Five members, but this voice sounded like no elder man desperate for somebody. As you walked around to find the source, your eye began to pound which lead you to hold onto your eyepatch. Without you realizing, your ankle caught onto a thick branch and you fell backward,

 _"OH SHIT-"_ You screamed as you felt yourself take a huge fall but before you could process the depth of whatever you're falling into, you felt a hand quickly grab you. Instinctively grabbing the hand, you gasped and - despite your advise not to - looked down to find a huge deep cliff looming below you. 

"Oh...shit.." You took deep breaths,

"Hang on...I got you!" An unknown male spoke above and started to pull you up. 

"O-Oh th-thank you!" You thanked them as you grabbed his other arm as he pulled you on the surface. Taking a huge sigh of relief, you looked up to thank the man who saved you,

"Thank...." Your voice drifted once you looked at this pale man. This man wore a long silky white coat, but it didn't cover his long light turquoise hair. It wasn't the only thing that caught your eye, his eyes were of different colors; his left a golden color and his right being the same light turquoise as his hair. 

"Oh...sorry, did I startle you?" The man asked kindly as he gave you a gentle closed eye smile.

No, it wasn't his looks that made you cautious, it was his energy. Despite his innocent gesture, you couldn't avoid the pure malice that hid quite well inside - his aura impeding pure rage and malice that you've never felt before in someone. 

"Oh...uh....no." You lied as you shook your head, "It's just.....I never uh...saw you......are...are you real?" You asked and got a laugh in return, 

"Yes, I can assure you I am real." The man nodded his head with a laugh, "Why? Are you?" 

"Uh...yes." You nodded your head, "Not...not any of the Big Five in my body..." You tried examining this man despite your instincts advising to run away and never look back. For someone who is clearly pissed and evil, he sure does a good job hiding it. 

"Big Five?" The man blinked and soon chuckled, "Oh, you don't need to worry about them taking your body, miss...?" He reached out his hand as a form of greeting

"Oh.." You perked up, are you even sure you should give him your name? Your eye started to hiss in pain but you gulped it down and took his hand,

"....(y/n).." You introduced yourself, 

"Pleasure. My name is Dartz, it's so nice to finally meet you." Dartz introduced himself as he shook your hand. He slowly rose from the floor which gave you a quick second to see what he was wearing under that coat; which you found him to be wearing a long white cloak with baggy white pants that came with blue streaks on certain areas, such as the shoulder blade and the sidelines of his robe. 

"You...wear very fancy and white sir." You noted as Dartz laughed, 

"Thank you, I like robes like these." Dartz twirled around to show off the robe that mixed with the white coat, "I'm not too keen with...detailed designs." 

"That makes the two of us then, huh?" You rose from the ground with a light huff, "I hate those types of clothing." 

Dartz laughed, "Hey, (Y/n)? This may sound a bit...relieving? But how about you leave this world and come with me?" Dartz asked,

"...you mean like leave this virtual world?!" You gasped, "But how?!" 

"Let's just say I found a tiny...escape hole that we can leave off to." Dartz smiled in return. You smiled almost instantly, ready to say yes and get the hell- 

Wait a damn minute. You had to mentally slap yourself - you completely forgot about his malice. Damn him and his clever tactics! 

"Oh...th...then why don't we find the others first?" You compromised, "It isn't just me trapped in-" You watched his face fall as you spoke.

"Why? Who cares about them? Come with me instead, I'll take care of you. In fact, we'll come back to get...the rest...a little later on." Dartz replied as he took your hand, "trust me, I know as much as you that we want to get out of here." 

There's something wrong here. First off, your eye is screaming at you and secondly, your instincts are joining. This man isn't here just to get you out. That's a fact. 

"Uh..." You tried to find some way to get out of his sight, "How...how about we look around for a bit? I want to see if anyone I know is here." You slipped your hand out of Dartz and whisked in a completely opposite direction. 

_Get out of here_

_Get as far away from him as you can. He's dangerous._

If your body was a separate character, it would be flashing red with a huge warning sign displayed. You could hear him following you not long after you waltzed off his grasp. 

"....Miss (y/n)?" Dartz called you again and gently held your hand, "There's no one else here. I already checked." 

"Oh?" You squeaked and turned to look at him, "Really?" 

"Yes." Dartz nodded, now appearing a little annoyed. "Don't you want to get out of here?" 

"I do...but...uh..." You stammered, "...at least l-let me find someone-"

"I already told you there's no one around, it's just the two of-" 

_**"Lies."** _

Feeling your back turn to sharp pain, you gasped and immediately went to the floor. Dartz, startled, takes a few steps back from you. Your back was in immense pain, more than how it was during the finals tournament in the real world but you felt no blood rushing down for some reason. You felt yourself stand back up despite not having the strength and your eye began to throb. You couldn't see what was going on but you knew something was happening behind you. You knew this because of Dartz, who is staring behind you.

You don't see it, but he does. Dartz sees the Seal itself right behind you, enlarging its size from your back. He couldn't even process what was happening because clouds formed around you and Dartz. Thunder rampaged through as the cryptic words surrounding the Seal began to rapidly move, following the circular border. It wasn't long before green lightning struck him down. It wasn't even a full minute and he dissipated into nothing, almost like he was some robot that got deleted from a computer. 

You fell to your knees as the storm grew to be peaceful and the Seal displayed behind you slowly dissipated like how Dartz did. 

Holy shit. What the hell was that. Your back was in massive pain but there was no blood. You couldn't even stand up properly, you kinda just sat there in the same position as you slowly looked over where Dartz was standing to see something else that was new. Your eyes locked with some green stone that was in the grass, but for some reason, it was calling out to you. 

_**"Take it."**_ The Seal demanded as you winced in pain hearing its booming voice all over your head and reached over to the stone despite the immense pain you got. The moment you grabbed that stone, you wished you didn't, as the pain that came afterward was far worse to a point where you couldn't hold in the pain. You let out a huge whimper as you felt the stone burn your hand almost as if it was going to burn through it. Letting out short loud yelps in pain, you watched with teary eyes as the green stone started to sink into your hand - which didn't help because it traumatized you. It was as if it was moving into your body, it was horrifying to watch - but still, no blood came out of this which shocked you the most. You watched in horror as the stone went completely inside the skin of your hand, you could no longer see the color but you could clearly see the stone inside you as it crawled its way inside and up your arm. Feeling this burning sensation caused your voice of pain to slowly increase as your vision started to get fuzzy. 

This wasn't unfamiliar to you. You recognized this pain. You knew just how painful it was to get that Seal in your back in the first place and it was horrifying to even remember.

You remembered how they tied you up from the back and had the green-slate knife ready with the chants in the back. You could never forget that. Nor could you forget the burning sensation after when they burned the mark on you as they implanted something inside to properly ensure your title as the Vessel. 

It's the very same pain that's happening right now as if the entire ritual was happening again but a mere 5% of it. After 5 painfully long minutes, you felt the sensation at your back and heard a popping sound, which caused the pain to automatically cease. Realizing your lungs took in too much air, you let out huge breaths as your vision was watery and hazy. You have no idea what the hell just happened. Your hearing was off too, lit was incredibly fuzzy and you had no idea what was going on around you, but you could've sworn you heard something from the distance. You covered your eye with your hands, no longer able to process what's happening or what just happened. This soon stopped when you felt someone gently roll you to your back. Gasping, you quickly moved your hands from your eye in a panic to see someone hovering over you. 

_'Oh shit is it Dartz-'_ You mentally panicked as he grabbed your hands gently,

_"(Y/n), listen to me are you alright?"_

Wait a damn minute...you blinked to get a better view of who was hovering over you, his voice being very gentle and _very_ familiar. His hands gently wiped some of the tears that came down from your eye and you finally realized who was with you right now.

It was Yami. 

**_=======================================_ **

**_~Ending; ~ _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	24. Season 3; Episode 3

_**~Opening; ~ ** _

_**========================================** _

"(y/n), take deep breaths, everything is going to be okay." Yami gently said as he slowly let go of you, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asked as he looked around, "There was a weird thunderstorm that I've never seen that swung by, did you get hit?" Yami sounded more worried as his hands gently held your arms once more. 

By all the Gods up, you've never felt so relieved of seeing him. You merely shook your head in response as Yami wrapped his arms around you to help you sit up. He was so warm you could fall asleep on him if you wanted to...if you weren't in some virtual world. 

"What happened? Do you remember anything?" Yami quietly asked and lightly shook you to get your attention, 

"Pain..." You honestly answered and took a huge sigh, "...lots of it." 

"I see...." Yami's eyes narrowed, "...can you stand?" 

Your eyes narrowed, _why can't you just sit there in Yami's arms for a bit longer?_

_....why are you saying that? Take it back and get your ass up._

"I'll see if I can." You nodded as Yami helped you get up. It took a bit because of the immense pain the Seal gave, but you were standing on two feet...of course with Yami's help. Yami wrapped his arm around your arm and held you tight,

"Well, by and by, you wouldn't believe what I had to go through before I heard you," Yami sighed as he slowly guided you over somewhere else, "I was fighting Gansley." 

"Gansley..?" You mumbled, 

"One of the Big Five, don't you remember?" Yami asked with a small smile on his face,

"Oh..." Your mind clicked, "...oh yeah...forgot about them." 

Yami laughed, "So that means you didn't duel one of the other Big Five members?" 

Honestly, you prefer to duel them and deal with their misogynistic ass about bodies than deal with what you just experienced with Dartz. You sarcastically laughed at Yami's question,

"I wish." You noted as Yami chuckled, giving you weird chills down your back but not in a bad way. 

"I can tell, but their duel rules are so...complex." Yami's face scrunched, "For example, you need to have a deckmaster throughout the duel, which is a monster of your choosing." 

"Oh?" You perked up, "More rules?" 

"Yes." Yami nodded, "But there's a problem, first off you need to choose your deckmaster from the deck they have in their system, so not directly from your deck. Secondly, if the deckmaster gets zero lifepoints you automatically lose." 

"Ew." You scrunched your face as Yami laughed,

"I knew you'd say that." 

"Ugh, all this for our bodies." 

"With how you put it, it's rather..."

"Awkward?" You smirked, 

"...well....yes..." Yami awkwardly nodded, "But we must stop them and return back to our world." 

"And continue the tournament..." Your mind drifted off with what Shadi warned you about prior to ending up in this world. Do you really belong at the tournament? You have some beast to attack, and after that encounter with Dartz with that green stone...should you really be here in this virtual world? 

And just like that, you realized how serious this Leviathan is and the Seal. 

"(y/n)?" Yami stopped and tilted his head, "What is wrong?" 

"Hm?" You perked and looked at him, "...oh, nothing." You shrugged but was greeted with a raised eyebrow and a look of doubt from Yami. Taking a sigh, you stared at your duel disk, which you were surprised was still on you. 

"Hey..." You shifted uncomfortably, "...Do you think I should be here?" You asked as Yami widened his eyes,

"...What?" Yami asked,

"Like, should I really be here?" You asked, 

"What kind of question is that?" Yami gasped, "Of course you should!" 

"But...why?" You asked,

"You're a very smart duelist, (y/n)," Yami said with a stern look, "Don't think you managed to enter the finals out of sheer luck." 

"....Do you think..." You mumbled, "...that if I had a destiny away from here, I should be gone?" 

Yami was quiet. He stared at you with an intense look for a bit which made you a little uncomfortable. But you weren't wrong, hearing from a person you shouldn't be here, and with the Seal being impatient and overprotective, should you _really_ be here right now? You're lucky Yami nor Mai have seen the Seal on your back as they were taking care of you. 

"...(y/n)." Yami closed his eyes and took a sigh, "I want you to listen to me. I am aware that destinies tend to be...apart from what you intend. But as of now, you're with me and to me, that's all that matters." Yami answered, "Of course, destiny has a role with your choices and your future, but you're here with me. Don't you think despite your destiny being different, it put you here for a reason?" 

You blinked, oh...you didn't think of that at all. 

"...So I am here for a reason?" You asked,

"Yes." Yami nodded and lightly tightened his grip on your arm, "Believe it or not, you always manage to make my day with your silliness in serious situations." 

Your cheeks turned red, "..wh...what do you mean silliness?" 

"You think I didn't hear your quiet commentary back at the blimp?" Yami laughed, "It was rather hilarious." 

"Y-Y-You heard?!" You squeaked as Yami's laugh increased, 

"Of course I did!" He nodded, "I love hearing your voice-" 

Silence filled the area for a bit as Yami froze in place and left your cheeks redder than usual. 

"....iN JOKES. YES. IN JOKES." Yami yelped awkwardly as he nodded rapidly, "YOU ARE FUNNY." He assured with his cheeks slowly getting red. 

"Y...Yeah.." You nodded as Yami gulped and looked ahead, 

"AH. LOOK, THERE'S A DOOR." Yami pointed to change the subject. Your eyes averted in Yami's direction to find, in fact, a wooden door in the middle of the field. 

"....So it seems." You gulped and nodded your head. 

"Y-Y-Yugi and I are going to see where this door leads." Yami cleared his throat and stared at the ground, "It could lead to our other friends." 

"Ah..." You nodded your head and grasped the door handle, "Then let's go?" 

"Y-Yes!" Yami perked up and touched your hand. The moment he touched your hand, he flipped his hand off yours and awkwardly took a few steps away, 

"Uh...sorry..." Yami mumbled and gulped, "Uh...instinct...uh...allow me to open the door." 

Blinking, you took a step aside as Yami reached for the door and opened it. The moment you walked in, you looked over to see Yugi standing before you and giving you an intense look. 

"Oh...Hi Yugi-" You greeted, 

"YAMI." Yugi squeaked, "Is taking a break. Yes. A break." He nodded at his own words. You stared at Yugi for a moment, quietly registering his words, 

"Because Pharaohs. Need. Rest." Yugi nodded as he clapped his hands on each word, _"TOTALLY_ not because he was being an embarrassment towards himself and being the most obvious person in the entire world both virtual and real." 

You paused and bit your lip to hide a smile, "Should...should you be telling me that-" 

**"ANYWAYS."** Yugi clapped and rubbed his hands together, "Shall we go down this weird hallway to see where it goes?" 

You nodded your head, trying to forget what Yugi had just blurted out loud and focused on the...what seems to be an endless hallway. It was entirely black with thin white lines horizontally across indicating the space around you. 

"Jeez, Noah likes to exercise." You groaned and stretched your arms and legs to hear that familiar pop in your back - causing you to stop and immediately straighten up.

"Are you good for a run though?" Yugi asked, "You look really pale and it was hard for you to get up and walk on your own." 

"Nah, no need to worry." You shook your head, "That walk helped me wake up my legs, I'm pretty sure I can run." 

"Okay, if you need to take a breather let me know, alright?" Yugi nodded,

"I think finding everyone else is just as important though, if not more." Your eyes narrowed. Yugi paused for a bit, then smirked,

"Yami wants me to tell you no." Yugi said, "And if you even consider not taking a breather when you need one, Yami will come and be his awkward self because he's in- _OW OW OKAY OKAY!_ " Yugi screeched as he rubbed his elbow, "S-Sorry (y/n), Yami assaulted me." 

"I....can tell." You blinked and stretched your legs, 

"Alright, let's go!" Yugi said and immediately started to run down the hall. You soon joined him and ran next to him until he lost his breath. Surprisingly, you managed to keep up his pace, you have no idea how, it's like some spurt of energy came on and you just went with the flow despite being literally paralyzed like, 10ish minutes ago? 

"God...does this hallway ever end?" Yugi gasped for air as his hands rested on his knees. 

"Well..Noah did make it..." You sat down for a bit, "He'd keep it going for as long as he wants."

"Well he isn't gonna stop me from seeing my friends." Yugi pumped himself back up. Seeing how he's gonna run more, you wasted no time and popped to your feet. Again, you have no clue how you're standing and acting like everything's fine. In fact, you feel...a little better? 

"Alright, feelin' good (y/n)?" Yugi asked as he seemed to be ready to run,

"Yeah, let's go. Race you~" You teased as you ran ahead.

"Wha- HEY! NOT FAIR!" Yugi laughed as he ran after you in return. Soon he was able to catch up with you and continued to run down the halls. It wasn't even moments later and a giant hole pops up from underneath both you and Yugi. 

"OH NOT AGAIN-" You hissed as you fell down this hole with Yugi and fell straight onto a new floor. Gasping at the impact, you clenched your teeth to not curse loudly in pain from your back. Your back really hates you now, especially since you took that stone. It's been popping and been incredibly being stubborn. 

"What in the hell happened with the tournament?" You hissed to yourself as you felt warm arms hold your shoulders. Thinking Yami was back, you turned to find no one behind you and soon looked back to see Yugi slowly getting up as well.

"Ugh...that...could've been better..." Yugi groaned as the warmth left your shoulders. Extremely confused about what just happened, you gently rubbed your back. 

"...you good?" You asked,

"Yeah, you?" Yugi nodded and slowly got up, "Damn...why does Noah like holes so much?!" 

"Don't know and wish he liked slides." You sneered as you looked around to find 4 white doors surrounding you and Yugi. They were really bright, indicating that these doors were long open and were waiting for you to walk in on. 

"Well...better than long-ass hallways." You rose from the floor and approached one of the doors, "...and looks _really_ fishy." 

"Ah! WAIT!" Yugi quickly grabbed your arm, "Y-Yami advises we test the doors first." 

"..Good call.." You nodded and took a step back as Yugi took out a coin. Tossing it to one of the doors, an electrical field sparked and immediately threw the coin back. 

"...Ya know..." You huffed in annoyance, "...I am _really_ starting to hate this kid." 

"I...can't blame you." Yugi nodded, "Let's test the other-" 

_"It's getting so cold..."_ Both you and Yugi perked up at a female voice that rang both yours and Yugis ears. 

"....Is...Is that?" You immediately recognized that voice as it shivered in your spine, 

_"I...I don't think I can take it anymore..."_

That's...that's Tea. Yugi turned pale upon hearing her voice,

"TEA!" Yugi cried out, "WHERE ARE YOU? TELL US WHERE YOU ARE!" 

_"Its....so....cold..."_ Tea quietly whimpered,

"NOAH TELL ME WHERE SHE IS RIGHT NOW!" Yugi screamed as his voice began to quiver.

"....Yugi, calm down-" You tried to get to Yugi's head but he immediately ran straight for one of the doors, "YUGI-" You screamed as the door propelled Yugi back and onto the floor. You immediately ran to Yugi and knelt beside him,

"Dude. Chill." You grasped his shoulders, "Noah's a prick, he's gonna do shit like this." 

"But...but what about Tea?!" Yugi stared at you then looked to his other side. Blinking, you saw him look up at the door and his eyes perked up,

"...(y/n), do you see that star?" Yugi pointed at the top of the door. You looked up to find a single star imprinted and nodded your head,

"One star could possibly symbolize a monster's strength, so that means a one-starred monster could be right outside that door." Yugi explained as he got up. You rose from the floor and activated your duel disk,

"Then let's break it down~" You smirked as you pulled out a card from your deck - finally, playing a card game....with a door. 

Erasing the fact you're having a mini duel session with a door, you stared at the door, "I summon Hysterical Skeleton in attack mode!" 

"Ooo I love this one!" Yugi clapped excitedly as the skeleton appeared, laughing non-stop, as usual, attack points 1790 and defense points 1500.

"Attack and see who's behind this door!" You commanded as the Hysterical Skeleton's laughter soon turned to a scream as its wavelengths breached the door. Moments after the door was breached, a green dragon showed itself from the door but was soon demolished with the screams of the Hysterical Dragon. 

"ALRIGHT! WOOHOO!!" Yugi cheered as he jumped out of excitement, "AW MAN I LOVE THE HYSTERICAL SKELETON! If you use any magic card that boosts him, he gets even COOLER!" 

You lightly blushed at the aggressive compliments, "D'aww....thank you..." 

"Now, let's go!" Yugi cheered as he bolted inside the door. Terrified of the idea of you losing Yugi and being lost again to encounter....someone again...you immediately followed Yugi to find yourself in...the same location you were? 

"What....in the paradox?" You raised an eyebrow as Yugi clenched his teeth, 

"..Back to where we were-" 

_"It's...freezing......my...my legs are numb!"_ You heard Tea cry out and Yugi gasped,

'WE'RE COMING TEA! HOLD ON!! WE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Yugi looked at you with a panicked look, 

"Okay, let's first take a deep breath." You advised and looked around, "As I said, there's a likelihood that we're in some paradox that Noah threw us in." 

"...T...True.." Yugi was practically shaking as he looked around. After pausing for a bit, he seemed to start to calm down as his eyes landed on the ground,

"Hey, look!" Yugi gasped, "It's the very same coin I tossed at the door earlier!" 

Your eyes averted to the ground and spotted the coin, "...So we are going in circles." 

"I don't get it!" Yugi frowned, "I thought the game was easy! Each star represents the level of the monster, beat the monster and you go through. Am I missing something?!" Yugi furiously asked, 

"Okay, first off before we continue." You walked in front of Yugi and firmly grasped his shoulders, "First you need to calm down."

"B-But Tea!" Yugi looked at you, "We need to hurry-" 

"And I get that," You nodded, "But panicking and running around mindlessly isn't gonna get you to Tea. We only managed to find out about this game after you calmed down, remember?" You quirked an eyebrow as you referred to beating up the dragon with your skeleton. "Take deep breaths and calm down. Noah is getting in your head and you're letting him. Breathe through your nose and out with your mouth." 

Yugi stared at you as you took a deep breath as an example and soon joined you. After a few breaths, Yugi relaxed his shoulders and nodded,

"Okay...okay I'm calm." Yugi assured and looked at you, "Th....thank you (y/n)." 

"No problem." You let go of his shoulders and looked at each door again, "Now, let's look further into this godforsaken game. We may be missing something, maybe it's supposed to be in order or something?" You asked as Yugi gasped,

"That's it!" Yugi's eyes lit up, "You're a genius, (y/n)! Oh...yeah, you too Yami." Yugi nervously laughed, "Sorry (y/n), Yami's been telling me the same thing! Maybe there's more to it and you're right! Maybe since we beat the one-starred monster, we now need to do the second." 

"Then the third, and so on." You smirked at the doors, "Good idea." You mumbled as you set out your duel disk,

"Awww yeah!" Yugi clasped his hands together, "Let's see what you're gonna cast this time! OOH! Let me do the next one, alright?" 

"You gotta remind me though or I'll keep doing it for you," You reminded Yugi as you pulled out another card with a smirk, "I summon Mermaid Wonder in attack mode!" 

Mermaid Wonder. A single mermaid with long pink hair, green eyes, a purple shell around her chest, and a long blue tail. Her attack points are 1950 and her defense is 1500. 

"AW YEAH!" Yugi cheered,

"Attack the door!" You demanded as the mermaid used her tail and smacked the door, including the green-rooted monster that came out of it. 

"Let's go!" Yugi sprang into action and bolted in the door the moment it opened. You soon followed as the Mermaid blew a kiss for goodbye. Once you ran down that hall, you encountered the same room. Darting your eye to the third door, you discovered three facedown cards below the stars. 

"...wait a minute-" You paused,

"My turn!" Yugi said excitedly and immediately opened his disk, "I summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, attack!" 

"Yugi, wait a minute-" You warned as the Knight attacked the door but struck what appeared to be a card. The attack bounced straight back to the knight and he went down. 

"What..?" Yugi gasped,

"There are three facedown cards below the Stars-" You looked to find one of the facedown cards was gone, "....Okay now two." 

"And that one if I had to guess it was Mirror Force trap card..." Yugi muttered as he pulled another card, "I summon Gazelle!" 

As he was summoned, a much weaker-looking monster appeared behind the door. It looked like a decaying vampire to you but you didn't say anything.

"Now lets-" Yugi paused as he watched the second facedown card be activated. This decaying vampire soon held a sword. 

"...I summon Berfomet and use Polymerization to form Chimera!" Yugi activated his magic card and fused both the monsters to increase the damage. "Now attack my mythical beast!" Yugi demanded as the Chimera floored the decaying vampire. 

"WOO! GO YUGI!" You cheered as Yugi briefly smiled at you, 

"Th-Thanks! Now let's go!" Yugi bolted down the halls with you following. Once you made it back to the room, you caught eyes with the four-starred door with five facedown cards,

"Holy - five facedown cards?!" You gasped as you immediately pull out your disk, " Yugi I am TOTALLY taking this one." 

"B-But it's five facedown cards!" Yugi looked at you, "Can you handle it?" 

"Yup, and I have just the card to get rid of those." You pulled out a magic card you were keeping, "I activate the Heavy Storm magic card." 

"You have that too?!" Yugi gasped as he watched the storm get rid of all the facedown cards. 

"It was a gift from someone, I forgot who actually..." You bit your lip, "...so sorry to whoever gave me it, I forgot your name." 

You watched a pirate come into view with a smirk on his face, almost ready to attack. Your hands went straight to your deck once more and pulled out another card

"Alright, I summon Beauty's Prince in attack mode and a card facedown." Sneaking in a trap card, you activated your card. 

A blonde prince appeared with purple eyes, along with a pink royal top and blue tights. He wore a purple cape and gave the boy a charming smile. Attack Points were 1800 and his Defense was 1500. 

"Now then," You hummed as the pirate sprang for an attack instantly, immediately triggering your trap card. "Oops, he didn't even let me explain it's a trap..." You sarcastically gasped as the trap card revealed itself as the Grim Reaper's Hand, 

"Ah! The Grim Reaper's Hand! It takes 650 attack points from the opponent!" He gasped as the pirate's points went drastically low from 2000 to 1350. 

"Now then, my beautiful prince attack the beast!" You smirked as the Prince gracefully whipped out his thin and sharp sword and sliced the pirate in half. 

"Where did you get the Grim Reaper's Hand anyway?" Yugi asked,

"Oh, it was a testing card from my grandpa before it went on limited sale." You explained, "He gave it to me after I tested it on a computer opponent." 

"Dang, I missed the sale." Yugi frowned,

"I'll ask Papa to restock it when I see him." You compromised as both you and Yugi ran down the final door and found yourself in some artic area. 

"...what the-" You looked around the icicles that hovered before you as Yugi ran forward,

"(y/n)! Look! It's Tea!" Yugi shouted from up ahead as you ran after to find you and Yugi trapped in this weird ice hole. You could see Tea, she wasn't far but she was turning into an icicle herself. 

"Uh...Yugi.." You stared at Tea's condition, "...Tea is turning to ice." 

"Tea!" Yugi slammed his fists against the ice door, "I'm right here! I'll get out of here and get to you!" 

"How about I summon a monster and break the ice?" You asked as Yugi shook his head,

"You've done more than enough though, besides, I don't want you to run out of cards!" Yugi answered as he banged against the door, "I just wish I can be able to do some-" 

Just as he was about to finish, a bright purple light emerged from Yugi's duel disk and broke through the ice. Out of protective instinct, you wrapped your arms protectively around Yugi as the Dark Magician appeared on the battlefield. Now that you are capable of seeing clearly what's going on...Tea seems to be fighting....a penguin. 

"...I'd take fighting a penguin over a door." You sighed to yourself as you and Yugi watched Tea finish the duel and gain victory. The penguin, being thrown away from the blast and with zero life points, was gone to never be seen again as Tea fell to the ice floor unconscious. Yugi, already bolting to Tea's location, ran straight and caught Tea in time with a smile on his face,

"Tea! You did it! You won the duel!" Yugi cheered as Tea slowly arose from her temporary unconsciousness. 

"Y...Yugi!" Tea mumbled as she immediately wrapped her arms around him, "Oh Yugi...I-I was almost an ice pop!" 

"Oh...uh..." Yugi's cheeks went red, "...I-It's alright Tea...we're here now and we aren't gonna separate ever again!" 

Just as Tea nodded, she opened her eyes and made eye contact with you, and you had the WORST feeling it was henceforth going to be the most awkward journey. 

_**==========================================** _

_**~Ending; ~ ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	25. Season 3; Episode 4

**_~Opening; ~ _ **

**_=======================================_ **

"Oh...(y/n)...I uh...didn't expect you here." Tea greeted you as she let go of Yugi. You gave a quick smile and waved,

"Hello...how uh, how are ya?" You asked, "You managed to defeat a penguin..." 

"It wasn't just a penguin." Tea's eyes narrowed as she spoke, her voice sounding a bit irritated, "It was one of the Big Five." 

"...as a penguin?" You asked as Yugi gasped, 

"Oh no! Which one?! I fought Gansley who was the Deepsea Warrior!" Yugi asked,

"...I fought...a door." You mumbled to yourself, 

"It was Crump!" Tea responded, 

"Thankfully you won the duel!" Yugi smiled, "Now, let's go find the others!" 

Tea nodded and got up while wrapping her arms around herself. With that, you, Yugi, and Tea started to head off down the artic to find a sign of the others. As you walked with them, you could totally tell Tea was dying of the cold; she was wearing a sleeveless shirt with shorts and she was literally inside ice, there's no _way_ she's not cold. Your eyes averted to Yugi, who literally wore a leather jacket. Surely if he liked her so much he would've given her a jacket right?

"It would s-sure be great if I had hot chocolate..." Yugi shivered,

"You could say that again.." Tea agreed.

 _....what?_ Your face scrunched as you stared at the two of them; is Yugi oblivious or something? 

Cocking an eyebrow, you eyed Yugi down enough to get his attention. Yugi looked at you with a questionable look as you gestured him to take off his coat and give it to Tea. You found it kinda sad that you had to indirectly tell him to do it. Yugi's eyes widened a bit, indicating he got the message as he took off his coat and gently placed it on her,

"Here, take my coat." 

"Y-You're a lifesaver, Yugi! Thank you!" Tea smiled at him,

"Sure, no sweat.." Yugi glanced at you to see you give him a thumbs up. As you put your thumbs down, you felt a warmth come from your right side, as if something warm wrapped around your arm; it felt the same warmth you encountered while going through that mini-maze you and Yugi went through. Yugi smirked at this but quickly changed his face when you looked at him. 

"Hey, you're worried about everyone else aren't you?" Tea asked, 

"Yeah, I am especially worried about Tristen and Serenity," Yugi responded, "They are beginners." 

"What a nice welcome to the games I suppose." You shrugged and got a glare from Tea, 

"If they lose they're stuck here for the rest of their lives." Yugi frowned as he stared at the ground, 

"You're right, but if I can beat one of them then it shouldn't be a problem!" Tea assured as Yugi seemed visibly cold. It seemed Tea didn't notice this as well. 

"...by the gods, they're both oblivious." You muttered as you walked over to Yugi and rubbed his arms, "Well, for starters, we should find a way to get to them. That way we can advise them if they need help." 

Tea shot a stare at you as Yugi shuddered and seemed to relax, "Thanks (y/n) and Yami." 

You perked up, "Yami? He isn't-" 

"aaAAAA LETS GO!" Yugi immediately yelped and walked straight forward. "They'll be fine! I'm sure they already found each other and are finding a way out of this place!" 

"Yugi?" Tea's eyebrows furrowed, "Are you okay?" 

"YES! 100%!" Yugi shouted back, "L-Let's go and find some way out of here to meet up with them!" 

Raising an eyebrow, you followed Yugi as the warmth on your right side still remained. Despite not wearing winter clothes, you didn't feel as cold as you expected and it was mostly due to this invisible warmth. 

"...hey, (y/n)?" Tea glanced at you, "...did you fight any of the Big Five yet?" 

"Hm?" You looked at Tea then bit your lip, "...No...I uh, fought a door if that counts." 

"....you fought a door?" Tea raised an eyebrow,

"To be fair," You defended, "Yugi and I wouldn't have been able to reach you if we didn't." 

"Ah, so you were with Yugi the whole time?" Tea sounded rather annoyed, 

"....yeah." You nodded cautiously. Jeez, you can't seem to understand this one, she's too complicated with you. First, she sounds concerned then she's all annoyed at you. 

"I hope we can get out of here." Tea said, "I mean, we can, right?" 

"Yeah." You nodded, "I'm sure we can I mean he's just a kid." 

"Yeah a kid with powers that can control this whole world." Tea snarked in reply, "And at least you were with Yugi and you weren't alone." 

"Hey guys!" Yugi interrupted Tea with a smile, "It's the same door that brought (y/n) and I over to you...well...indirectly." 

"Coming!" Tea snapped back to her friendly self as she ran towards Yugi. 

"...first off, I wasn't with Yugi at first," You mumbled, "Secondly, I think the penguin is getting in your head." 

It seemed Tea heard you because she stopped and stared at you for a few seconds. You froze in place as your eyes widened a bit, your mouth covered by your hands with a small gasp,

 _"...oops."_ You muttered as Tea gave you a fake smile, 

"Come on (y/n)!" Tea called out,

"Coming..." You responded awkwardly and quickly followed Tea and Yugi. The moment the doors were open, you ran inside with Tea and Yugi to find yourself in some courtroom. Thankfully, it was no longer just the three of you, as you saw Joey in the middle of the courtroom. 

"By all the gods' blessings, it's Joey." You quietly praised, now you're no longer standing awkwardly with Tea. 

"Huh-" Joey turned around and had a huge smile on his face, "Hey! Yugi, Tea, and (y/n)! Where have you been?" 

"Uh...places." You answered briefly,

"Order! Order! Settle down! This court is still in session, in case you haven't noticed." A robotic voice interrupted as they slammed the wooden hammer on their desk. You looked up to find some...old robot man in a wizard's attire....

"Is....is he fighting an old wizard judge?" You blinked at the judge that loomed over Joey. 

"Nah, (y/n)." Joey shook his head with a grin, "I'm duelin' one of the Big Five, and you're about to watch me sweep this courtroom!" 

"I believe it is my move." The judge spoke as he pulled out another card. 

"....I swear these guys have the _weirdest_ forms." You muttered, "I'd rather see them in their actual appearance." 

"You know," Yugi sighed, "...I actually agree with you." 

"The witnesses must be seated, you're lucky I am not going to eject you." The judge gestured the three of you to sit on a nearby bench. You silently shifted and sat down with Yugi following you. He sat next to you and gave you a smirk. 

"...you good?" You asked,

"mmm...." His eyes averted over next to you, then back at you, "...nope." 

"That's suspicious." You raised an eyebrow, 

"I know~" Yugi hummed as his eyes landed back on the duel. A little suspicious, you turned your attention back to the duel but unfortunately, it didn't last much longer as you got a wave of nausea. Clenching your fists, you leaned back on the bench and took quiet breaths. Thankfully, Yugi and Tea were invested at the duel, and Joey is occupied with the judge, so the attention won't be fully on you. Your back began to throb, by your back, it was the Seal this time that was the source. You have no idea why you're acting like this again, but now the throbbing moved to your eye. On a basic note, the Seal was having some form of the unknown episode. Whispers went through your ears, speaking in Latin and you couldn't understand any of it. Those whispers gradually increased in volume and now started to speak in both English and Latin,

_"...destiny....you must follow it"_

_"Beware of Paradius Inc."_

_"Cave ab homine Orichalcos" *_

_"Non est pro te" **_

_"You will hurt them all."_

You closed your eyes and covered your face with your hands. This is completely new and you have no idea what the hell is happening to you. You couldn't even hear the duel properly at this point. The whole room grew to be dizzy, you could've sworn you're going to pass out any minute now. All surrounding noises grew fuzzy as your conscious grew to be on thin ice, the voices growing stronger and louder in your head - your back and eye now throbbing due to the Seal. 

"...(y/n)..." You heard an outside voice call you. You flinched as you felt hands rest on your shoulders and soon felt yourself shake. Not finding this pleasing with your nausea, you briefly looked up to find Yami kneeling in front of you, worried. 

"(y/n)? Are you alright? Was it too cold out there?" Yami asked as you stared at him,

"Oh....uh....welcome back?" You greeted, 

"(y/n), now isn't the time for greetings, you look pale." Yami took your hands and held them, "What's wrong?" 

"I'm just...a little nauseated." You muttered,

"Nauseated?" Yami looked around the room, "I don't think I can do much for that, unfortunately," He noted as he sat next to you and gently rubbed your aching back. Flinching upon contact, Yami kept his eyes on you the whole time despite the duel still going on. You were quite thankful that no one but Yami noticed, as long as Tea doesn't-

You made eye contact with Tea who gave you a frown, then looked back at the duel. 

....yeah...nevermind. You took a deep breath, it couldn't get any more awkward. 

"Hey! Check out that light!" Tea broke your weird thoughts and you got yourself back to virtual reality. You looked over and saw a beam of light then came over a kid with blue hair and white clothes.

"...Is that...?" Joey gasped,

"It's Noah." Yami muttered, 

"Oh God the kid's here." You hissed, 

"Master? What are you-" The judge asked, 

"Quiet." Noah snapped, "Time out. Stop this duel."

"What's the deal?" Tea asked, 

"Noah...you can't sir! I am so close to taking this boy's body!" The judge pleaded, 

"You don't deserve this prize, Johnson. Not after what you just pulled." Noah snarked,

"So that's his name.." You mumbled as you hunched forward, nausea growing. 

Yami lightly chuckled, "It is," He softly spoke as he pulled you closer to him. You have no idea how Yami is so warm. 

"So he is a cheater." Joey mumbled,

"Sad to say it's true." Noah turned to Joey, "The honorable judge man is nothing but a fraud who's been cheating you from the very beginning. He's been using my technology to tamper with your dice rolls." He explained,

"How about I tamper with ya face?! Mr. So called Man of Justice, ya big fake!" Joey hissed at Johnson. 

"But Noah! I can't risk losing this!" Johnson pleaded, "Please, you must understand, I can't take living in this virtual prison for long!" 

"Must suck being trapped huh," You sneered, _wow....must suck being trapped with something for so long, can't relate._

"Your excuses bore me." Noah rolled his eyes, "I brought you five into my world with the understanding that under my leadership, you are to defeat Seto Kaiba and his friends. But if you cheat, I can't prove that I'm truly more deserving than him. For years I've lived in Seto's shadow always trying to prove I am the better one! I should be the president of Kaiba Corp, not him! And it's about time I've proven to Gozaburo Kaiba that he should've left the company to me." Noah lamented,

"...I knew it. We're caught in family drama." You groaned, 

"EEEExcuse me boys, if I may interrupt this little quarrel for just a sec, the defendant would like to speak." Joey spoke, 

"Sorry but this doesn't concern you." Noah declined and turned to Johnson, "Johnson, it's time for me to do something I should've done when we first met." 

"Noah...please don't!" Johnson pleaded, 

"Yoohoo~" Joey cooed the boys again, 

"What." Noah snapped,

"I'm willing to approve Judge unfairsome as long as he continues the game fair and square. Noah, if he still wins, you still get to prove your strength, and if I win I get to prove that Joey Wheeler doesn't sit back and let dumb frauds like Johnson win the best of 'em!" 

"Fine. Do what you want, just know on what you just did." Noah smirked, "The stakes of the duel still stand, oh, and before I forget there's something I need to take care of here." Noah's smirk faded, "I am not sure anyone knows as of yet, but recently my virtual world was hacked." 

Everyone gasped at that, 

"B-But no one should be able to even have access to this world!" Johnson's eyes widened, "What do you mean it's been hacked?" 

"I got a central idea of who did it. After a thorough investigation, the hacker came from a company known as Paradius Inc., and the hacker wanted to reach one specific person who is in this room." 

Oh no. 

You immediately had a hunch you knew _exactly_ what Noah's talking about. 

"That person is deemed dangerous to roam around so freely in my virtual world and I am not going to risk having that attack again," Noah said as his eyes narrowed, 

"But wouldn't the hacker just come back either way?" Tea asked, "I mean if they came for one person, why didn't they just leave with them the first time?" 

"The person kicked them out using forces that I have still yet to comprehend, and since then Paradius hasn't been seen in my system. Not to mention there are strange after-effects going on with my virtual world's security." Noah answered, "For that, they are to be with me at all times and under close watch. Sucks to suck Yugi but your little girlfriend will be coming with me." Noah snapped his fingers while glaring at you. Bracing yourself, you were immediately sucked into a hole that randomly appeared right below you. Yami gasped and tried to grab you but was pushed back by heavy winds. 

"(Y/N)!" Yami screamed as the hole vanished within moments. Yami soon glared at Noah in response, "GIVE HER BACK." He hissed,

"Not a chance." Noah shook his head, "I am not risking possibly another hack or an attack by that woman in my virtual world so freely. If she's gonna attack the same way she did, then it's going to be under _my_ control." 

"YOU DICK." Joey hissed, "YA CAN'T CONTROL HER LIKE THAT." 

"You talk as if you know who you're talking about." Noah snapped his head to Joey, "That woman is dangerous." 

"How dangerous?" Tea asked, 

"I do not intend wasting my time sitting here and explaining it to you." Noah snarked back, "Joey, know what you signed up for, I have experiments to do." Noah made his final remark and vanished from sight. 

Yami clutched onto the rails and growled at the spot where Noah was, _"I swear...touch a single strand of hair and I will make you regret it."_ Yami hissed to himself. 

...........

What. The Fuck. 

First off, you were so nauseated, you thought you were gonna throw up but you didn't eat anything so there wouldn't be anything to throw up. Secondly, did you ask for Dartz to come in like that? No, no you didn't, so why are you the one being attacked in response? 

"This..." You gulped back the urge to vomit as you slowly rose from the hard floor. You literally crashed into some new room that was filled with buttons and a huge chair that was covered with screens. "....is _not_ how I wanted my day to go." 

"(y/n) (l/n)," You heard the kid call out your name from the distance as moments later he stood before you, "Care to explain to me what the hell was that?" 

"Explain what ya spoiled dipshit?!" You hissed, "The fact that you keep using holes and throwing me into diff-" 

"Not that." Noah rolled his eyes, "You know exactly what I mean." 

"What, you mean Dartz?" You sneered as you slowly sat up, "What about him?" 

"What do you know about him." Noah asked, 

"You act like Dartz and I worked together. Also, how the hell do you know-" 

"It's hard to _not_ miss someone hack into my virtual world just to talk to one of Yugi's friends, nevertheless his girlfriend." 

"Wh-" You gasped, "We aren't dating he's literally in school-" 

"You two seem to act as more than friends when you're alone, hell, even when you're with your pathetic friends." Noah rolled his eyes, 

Well, technically it's Yami that's doing that, Yugi is literally in school and has a crush on Tea. Not wanting Noah to know about that, you kept your mouth shut. 

"Anyways, back on subject. Mind telling me just exactly who you are?" Noah sneered, "And by who I mean what?" 

"...excuse me?!" You hissed, "You think I am seriously going to tell you anything? You act like I know something you don't-" 

"The Seal of Orichalcos." Noah interrupted as he crossed his arms, "It's literally on you. What is it? Tell me now." 

You froze in place and stared at Noah in shock, 

"Is that why you're wearing an eyepatch?" Noah asked as he tilted his head, his fingers impatiently tapping his arms, "Does it have something to do with the Seal? Answer me now or pay the price." 

Your whole body began to shake as Noah kept pestering you with questions. _How the hell does he know about the Seal?_ As far as you know, it's not that easy to just Google it and find the answers, 

"I said answer me or pay the price." Noah sneered, "Tell me everything you know about the Seal of Orichalcos." 

".....firstly..." Your voice quivered, "....how do you know-" 

"You act like I didn't see some green thing come out of your back and kick some guy out or how your hand swallowed a piece of rock." Noah impatiently answered, "Secondly, my technology surpasses any technology as of yet. It may have taken a while, but I finally got my hands on some knowledge about the Seal, of course not all of it. Now. Tell me everything about the Seal." 

See, this is why you don't like telling people things or accidentally showing things to people. They tend to search more into it when you don't want to. 

"If I have to repeat myself about what the Seal is again, I will make Yugi suffer in so many ways that he won't be able to walk ever again. Now answer me." Noah hissed, 

You simply stared at him in shock, you never felt so vulnerable to him and it terrified you. It was the first time anyone whom you've met outside your circle is aware of the Seal and you did _not_ like that. 

But...it comes to mind...when the hell are you going to tell Yami about the Seal anyway? He's literally been all over you and you didn't even think of telling him about the Seal. How has it never come across your mind until someone like Noah directly asks you? 

"Fine, I'll have to give Yugi a real welcome then." Noah rolled his eyes and turned around to head to his chair. Gasping, you looked at Noah,

"Wait-" 

"You're really slow, (y/n)." Noah scoffed, 

"I..." You gulped, "...I don't even know much about it besides it taking-" You paused. Are you really sure you're going to tell Noah everything about the Seal? Is Noah really a safe person to talk to about this? You recalled him mentioning in the courtroom that he's going to use it upon his own will next time the Seal acts up. 

"Taking what?" Noah asked as he swiftly turned to you with interest sparked in his eyes, 

You bit your lip, yeah, there's no way you're gonna tell Noah it takes souls. He may force you to take Yugi's or Kaiba's...probably Kaiba since this is a family drama. 

_'Gotta think of some quick lie.'_ You thought to yourself as an idea popped in your head,

"It...takes your memories." You lied, "But only temporary..." 

"Memories?" Noah's eyebrow quirked and a smirk began to form, "Hmm..." 

"Yeah..." You nodded your head, "Definitely does. But, as I said, only temporary." You assured him as Noah hums in thought, 

"I see...well, how long does it take people's memories?" Noah asked,

"I'd say from a few hours to a few days." You lied, as much as you would want to say an hour, you didn't think Noah would _not_ think it's a lie. You gotta make it sound believable, but with how he's smirking and thinking you had a feeling you're lying too good. 

"Alright. That's more than good for what I have been thinking." Noah clapped his hands together, "Also I read briefly that the Seal thrives off of negative emotions, so it's even better for me~" Noah's smirk grew as he teleported you to another location. Thankfully, no holes opened up. You just magically appeared in some other room that looked more...homey than you thought. There lay a whole ass couch, chairs, and a fireplace. You stood there in absolute shock moments before the couch had a bright light next to you. Staring at the couch, you saw a boy lay down on the couch unconscious.

"..holy.." You gasped, immediately recognizing the boy who lay before you. 

It was Mokuba. 

"Mokuba!" You bolted to him and lightly shook him, "Wake up it's time to leave!" 

Mokuba slowly stirred from unconsciousness and looked up at you, his eyes lighting the moment eye contact was made.

"....(Y/)....(y/n)!" Mokuba yelped as he bolted up and hugged you tight. Returning the embrace, you held him tightly, 

"It's been way too long." You mumbled,

"Too long!" Mokuba nodded, "Wh-Where are we?" 

"The both of you are with me," Noah answered from afar as he soon made his appearance inside the room. 

"Noah!" Mokuba sneered, "Stay away from me! Just wait till Seto hears about this!" 

"Seto? HAH!" Noah laughed, "He won't be rescuing you anytime soon." 

"That's not true!" Mokuba clenched his fists as you protectively wrapped your arms around him, "My brother wouldn't let anything happen to me!" 

"He's got his hands tied, go see for yourself." Noah turned to the side and a screen appeared before you and Mokuba. Within the screen showed Kaiba dueling with some....bald guy...wearing some purple and green armor and...wearing a mask.

"....I swear these Big Five are so weird.." You mumbled, "Why do they look like that?" 

"They appear as their deckmaster," Noah replied, "...No idea why but they do that. But in any way, Seto will have to defeat my associate before coming to you." He turned to Mokuba and smirked at him, "But rest assured, you won't be the same once he gets to you." 

"What does that mean?" You sneered,

"It means exactly as I am gonna put it," Noah huffed with a smirk, "(Y/n), use the Seal and remove Mokuba's memories." 

**_=======================================_ **

**_*= Beware the Orichalcos man_ **

**_** = It is waiting for you_ **

**_~Ending; ~ _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	26. Season 3; Episode 5

**_~Opening; ~ _ **

**_========================================_ **

_Ohhhh shit._

You're starting to regret lying to Noah in the first place. 

"What?" Mokuba's face scrunched, "What do you mean?" 

"You heard me, (y/n). On with it." Noah's smirk grew. 

Oh you need to _think._ How are you gonna play this out? 

"What does he mean, (y/n)? What Seal?" Mokuba asked as he looked at you.

"If you don't do it now I am gonna stick with my threat from earlier." Noah quickly added, "Yugi is going to suffer."

Quickly, you shot a look at Mokuba with a determined look, you had yet another idea for your little lie. 

"Noah's....really....high..." You whispered a lie, "...he thinks I am some..being that takes memories." You continued as you placed a hand over Mokuba's head, "Soo....I need your acting game up for like, a few hours." 

"Ahh...okay." Mokuba nodded with a smile, "I got you, after this ima get an Emmy Award!" 

After leaning Mokuba back, you whispered, "close your eyes until I flick your head, okay?" 

Mokuba nods and closes his eyes shut. Now, to try to make it look believable. As much as you'd love to do it without any sort of visual representations, Noah has said he saw the entire conversation with you and Dartz; including every action that had been done. There's no way you can just flick Mokuba's head and call it a day or he'll call out your lies and hurt Yugi. But how the hell can you make it more believable? How are you going to invoke the Seal without taking Mokuba's soul by accident? You opened your eyepatch and tossed it on the floor. Noah's eyes widened as his smirk grew.

_I...wouldn't mind some help?_

_....it'd be great if you did? To make this lie more believable? No taking souls please?_

_....._

_Uh, Leviathan? Ya....ya wanna convince-_

Your eye started to pound upon thinking of the beast's name. Flinching upon the immediate pain, flashes of the Great Leviathan appeared from behind Mokuba, and from each second he grew closer and closer. Without you realizing it, your eye began to glow as you stared at this beast with wide eyes - Holy shit this monster is actually here cause you said its name.

Wait...holy shit Mokuba!

Realizing you're holding Mokuba, you tried your best to avoid the Great Leviathan that was literally slithering to you to act like you're removing his memories. _Remember....don't think about taking his soul. Don't take his soul,_ you kept repeating in your head, _this is only for show, maybe if you want you can take Noah or- ....in fact don't take Noah it's his world it'll put us all in danger._

_" **You think like I haven't thought of that. I'm not dumb."**_

_Oh please don't take his soul, please don't._

You quickly covered your throbbing eye and flicked Mokuba in the head. You stared at him as he collapsed on the couch with closed eyes. You stood there in pure panic as blood ran down your body, your skin now pale. 

"U..Uh..." You gulped as you lightly touched Mokuba with your free hand, "...you good?" 

Mokuba groaned and slowly rose from the couch, "...huh? Who are you?" He asked as he looked up at you, 

Oh he's _good._ You took a huge sigh of relief and turned to Noah, "...There." You cleared your throat as you picked up your eyepatch from the floor. 

"Mokuba? I know it's weird, but my name is Noah Kaiba," Noah greeted with a warm smile, 

"..Noah?" Mokuba looked at Noah and tilted his head, "N...Nice to meet you, where am I?" 

"You're in my world, all safe and sound." Noah replied and sat down next to him as he looked at you, "And this is my servant, (y/n)." 

_.....HUH?!_

You stared at Noah, "...since when-" 

"Cooperate." Noah hissed and pointed at the screen, "That person over there? That egotistic man with the white coat? That's your selfish and careless brother, Seto Kaiba." 

Oh no. You froze in place, you knew how sensitive Mokuba is when it comes to Seto. Literally anyone talks shit about Seto and Mokuba pops off - he needs to keep his acting game up for a bit. 

"Oh...Is that...is that right?" Mokuba said through clenched teeth but still kept his game up. Noah nodded and relaxed next to him, 

"Watch," Noah whispered as the screen got bigger for Mokuba to see.

"At last, the mighty Seto Kaiba is about to lose everything that he has! And it serves you right, after destroying your stepfather and betraying the Big Five. Now it's time you paid the price for using others to get what you want, even your own brother!" One of the members of the Big Five said, 

"What does he mean?" Mokuba genuinely asked, "I...I thought Seto - my big brother would be with me as a team?" His voice shook as he asked, 

"Not all the time, it's time you learned the real truth about your brother." Noah shook his head, "Listen to what Leichter has to say." 

"...that looks nothing like a Leichter." You mumbled, 

"You'd stop at nothing to get what you want, you'd even go as far as to deceive the ones most loyal to you. And it all started when Gozaburo Kaiba gave you ten million dollars to test your business tactics.." Leichter started,

".... _ten million?!_ " You gasped as Mokuba bit his lip to hold back a laugh,

"When you increased the cash by threatening smaller businesses, Gozaburo was impressed by both your cruelty and abilities. But that wasn't enough, was it Seto? You wanted more. So you gave us a plan to help take over the company and so we did. We tried buying the 51% you promised but we were soon caught by Gozaburo; apparently someone leaked this plan to him, and the one who did it was Mokuba according to you!" Leichter said,

Mokuba turned pale as he heard the news,

"You don't remember but it actually happened." Noah nodded,

"You trapped us all right at the start! For starters, I know Mokuba wasn't the snitch, it was you, Seto Kaiba!" Leichter vigorously pointed at Seto, "Gozaburo was so ashamed he left and never came back after Mokuba gave you the two percent he had of Kaiba Corp!" 

Mokuba weakily sat back down on the couch, his eyes wide and his skin pale.

"You knew Gozaburo head to toe, you knew how he worked; he loved making people suffer at their greatest moments so he let you buy up to forty-nine percent of the company thinking Mokuba leaked the plan. You knew and you tricked us all, you used Mokuba as a pawn!" 

"You're wrong!" Kaiba snapped back, "The only person I trusted was Mokuba, I knew that he and I will stand together and stop our stepfather!" 

"You used him to achieve your own selfish goals. You used your brother and took advantage of his trust and emotions to be able to destroy the very same man who took you in!" Leichter hissed back, 

"...th...that's enough.." Mokuba shook his head, "S...Seto wouldn't hurt me on purpose.." 

Noah raised an eyebrow and landed his eyes on Mokuba. 

"Don't think I've forgotten about what you did after you won the company, you took away our responsibilities! YOU USED US JUST LIKE HOW YOU USED YOUR BROTHER." Leichter hissed,

"Leichter. Life is a game and if you can't win it then don't play!" Kaiba hissed, "Now let's continue this duel!" He said as he drew his card to start his turn. 

"Mokuba, your brother is a careless selfish prick-" Noah sighed,

"...you're wrong." Mokuba shook his head, "M...My brother is my brother, I should love him just the same!" 

...for someone realizing his possible trauma is coming from his own brother, he does a really good job keeping his acting game. 

Noah's eyes narrowed and looked back at the screen to watch Seto gain victory over the duel. Mokuba cheered and looked at Noah,

"See?! I told you he'd win!" 

"Is that so?" Noah mumbled as he rose from the couch, "Mokuba, I am gonna send you to sleep for a bit, I need to have a little chat with someone." 

"Huh?" Before Mokuba realized what Noah was saying, Noah immediately rose and knocked him down.

"M-MOKUBA?!" You reached out for him and Noah smacked your hand, 

"Don't touch him you _liar_." Noah seethed as he placed Mokuba gently on the couch, "...you lied to me." 

"Wh..What are you-" 

"Don't think I'm dumb." Noah clenched his fists, "You lied to me. The Seal doesn't take away people's memories, doesn't it." 

_Ohhhh......shit_. You paused and bit your lip, "...I-It does-" 

"Don't lie to me (y/n)." Noah hissed in reply, "You may think you and Mokuba have tricked me but you're so wrong. How is it that someone with no memory looks at their brother with so much love for his victory?! Cause if I recall, someone with anmesia shouldn't be looking with love!" 

_....Mokuba, you were a fine actor until the end._ You mentally saluted Mokuba for his efforts. 

"You think you may have bested me but you're oh so wrong. I am going to make you pay for what you've done." Noah smirked, "And for that I am going to make Yugi the most miserable person to ever exist!" 

You froze, "...you will do no such thing." 

"Oh yes I will, and I'll start by sending him to the hottest place in my virtual world and make him suffer immensely. No one will be able to save him." He smirked as he focused the camera on Yugi, "Then I'll continue it by making sure he stays in my world until the end of time. For me, it'll take only a few seconds." 

"...No...you wouldn't." You shook your head as Noah zoomed in on Yugi,

"..Want to bet?" Noah's smirk grew as a button appeared next to him, "With the push of this button, you will no longer see Yugi ever again!" 

_No...that means -_

You turned pale as you thought of the idea of both Yugi and Yami being trapped here, no longer being able to duel and save the world from Marik. 

_No....no no no..._

Noah's finger lightly touched the button, his smirk only growing wider. 

No chance of seeing Yami again? No chance of his warmth? 

No....hell no. 

You dove towards Noah and grabbed his arm before he could press that button. Noah gasped and immediately used his hand and smacked you to the floor. 

"What do you think you're doing touching me with those sully hands?!" Noah snapped as you immediately grabbed his arm again, 

"Gonna stop you. No way you're touching that button." You hissed as Noah glared at you, 

"L-Let go of me! You have no control over me-" Noah hissed and snapped his fingers. Two robots appeared from behind, grabbed you and yanked you off of Noah. 

"N-NO!" You grunted as you tried to get off the robots. Noah rubbed the arm you snatched and glared at you, 

"You think you're a hero? You're not. You're just some monster that needs to suffer." Noah reached for the button once more, his grin returning, "Soon you'll realize what happens when you lie to someone who has full control over the world!" 

"No.....no..." You shook your head as your brain slowly began to shut down on you, "....DONT YOU DARE PRESS THAT BUTTON!" You hissed, feeling your veins boil inside you, pure anger seized you for the first time in a while. Feeling your back pound once more, you didn't care about it as you desperately tried to stop Noah from pressing that button. Just as Noah was about to press that button, you let out a scream, 

**_"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE! I'LL KILL YOU AND EAT YOUR SOUL ALIVE!"_** You hissed as Noah froze in place and stared at you in pure shock. It wasn't the fact on what you said, it was the fact that your voice was more twisted than it usually was - of course, you didn't realize that you were so blinded in rage. That wasn't the only thing that Noah noticed, it was so much more than that. Your anger has seized you, you had no idea what you summoned from behind. 

Noah was petrified upon seeing a whole beast slithering from behind the robots that soon malfunctioned moments before the beast made slight contact with them. Noah couldn't tell what the hell it was, but it was huge; its yellow slits pierced into the poor boy's eyes. As the beast slowly entered the light, Noah could see this thing in more detail. It's head and ears had fin-like features that flared up in intimidation, and it moved like it was a snake. Noah took a step back, terrified of this beast that sprung the moment you screamed at him. Not only that but the glare you had made him stop in his tracks, it was as if he touched a spot he shouldn't have. 

For the first time in a while, Noah felt immediate regret, and was so threatened by you that without thinking, he pushed the robots aside from you. Just before you could reach and tackle him to the ground, Noah opened a hole and forced you down there without hesitation; thinking that if you're gone, this giant beast will as well. It seemed he was right, but with a harmful cost. 

The Great Leviathan slithered up to Noah's face and huffed directly at him. Noah, terrified, fell to the floor and stared at the beast with wide eyes,

"S...Stay away..." His voice quivered, "S-Stay away from me! S-She's gone I sent her away!" 

The Great Leviathan growled at him then slowly moved back, _**"Rursus se tangere et sentire et iram meam"**_

Gasping at the new language, Noah stared in horror as the Great Leviathan slowly faded in the darkness, never to be seen again. 

Horrified but curious, Noah opened his computer while obliterating the button. "C-C-Computer, retract what had just occurred." 

The screen popped with a camera that had been in the room, Noah had been sure the beast would appear on screen - thankfully it did. 

"D-Did you catch what that beast said? If so, t-t-transate it now." Noah commanded while taking deep breaths. After a loading screen, the computer soon seemed to have been able to translate what had just occurred. Noah read the words in English and felt the urge to vomit, 

_Translation found; Latin to English...._ **:TOUCH HER AGAIN, AND YOU WILL FEEL MY WRATH:**

.......

You wished you had experienced a light landing for the first time in a while since you've encountered holes, but this time it was worse than the prior times. You ended up crashing through a giant mansion that was covered in moss. And by crashing, you literally crashed through the roof - thankfully you landed on a bed. Coughing up blood in response to the crash, you slowly turned to your side so you wouldn't choke. Trembling in both anger and pain, you rose from the bed and looked around to find yourself in a dusty room. Where the hell are you? You still felt your blood boil from Noah, what if he still pressed the button? You had little to no memory of what happened after you saw Noah almost press the button - you were literally blinded by rage. Coughing up more blood while feeling dizzy from all the rage, you decided to sit up and take deep breaths to calm down. _'You're only going to feel worse...gods why am I like this'_ you thought to yourself as you clenched your knees, trying to recall the tactics you made while under solitary confinement to calm yourself from episodes made by the Seal. Taking deep breaths, mumbling assurance that all is well, mumbling that Yugi is alright, mumbling that Yami is safe and unharmed- 

You paused and stared in front of you, which was coincidentally a mirror. You could take an actual look at yourself to find you covered in dust made by the wood that you crashed into - your chin having some blood marks from coughing it out, and you looked paler than usual - which you recalled Yami mentioning before you got separated from him. _Gods...what made you look like this?_ You never intended things to go this far. 

You would never look like this if you didn't go with them to the tournaments, why did you go? Why did you go to end up feeling so conflicted, so angry? You clenched your fists as tears threatened to fall. You came here just to duel and have fun, why are you being thrown with all these twists and turns? To make matters worse, here you are, possibly being responsible for Yugi to vanish and never return, and you didn't even manage to take Mokuba with you as you fell down this hole. What a failure you are, how could you let things happen as you stand? Here you are, sitting and staring at yourself like a child when you could've stood up for yourself and defended Mokuba, who is now alone with Noah.

What would've happened if you told Noah the truth? What if you told Noah that the Seal takes souls and feeds off negative energy? Would circumstances have changed? You buried your head within your body, your hands dug in your hair and your knees covered your face. 

No...if you told Noah the Seal takes souls, he would've commanded you to take Mokuba's soul, or worse, Seto's. Then you'll have no choice but to, you know Seto doesn't like acting and is very skeptical. Oh Gods, the thought of Yami seeing the Seal up close in action; knowing Noah, he would've pulled you in front of everyone and made you do it on the spot. 

This is why you hated the idea of telling others of the Seal, they would abuse you like this in terms of using it in matters you refused. Speaking of telling, the idea of telling everyone of the Seal popped in your mind; when the hell are you going to tell them about it? Your life isn't as normal as Tea's, despite the dream of having one like hers. How are they going to accept you're just a vessel? Your legs tightened against yourself as your back began to throb - already entering another episode. This time it wasn't just your back that started to throb, your heart increased in pace and your whole head began to hurt. Your lungs began to struggle to take in so much air as your breathing pace increased just as your heart. Your throat clenched together, holding back the pain and sobs that were threatening to come out. 

Why were you even born in the first place? 

Your whole body began to tremble as you couldn't hold back some of the sobs that came out of your mouth. The emotions you felt were celebratory for the Seal, you already felt it throbbing in your back that soon went to your eye. You knew the only thing you could do is sit and let this episode ring out. You have no idea where you are and you have no intentions at the moment even getting up and finding out where you are. 

You ended up sitting for as long as you needed before you could recollect yourself and stare at the bed. It wasn't long before you ended up falling into a slumber.  
It felt like hours before you managed to wake up from your self-depreicating slumber. You already know your eyes are swollen at this point, so you rose from the bed and made your way to the nearest bathroom. Relieved that the sinks work, you took off your eyepatch and washed your face with cold water. You stared at yourself in that mirror, 

_well, luckily you didn't harm yourself this time_ you mentally noted as you looked at your arms and took a heavy sigh with your eyes closed. The moment you opened them, your eyes caught on a black shadow run past the mirror form the corner of your eyes. Blinking, you immediately turned around and looked at the direction where this shadow went to see it again exiting the room. Raising an eyebrow, you took your eyepatch and followed this shadow while putting on your eyepatch. Running down the abandoned halls of this lovely mansion, you followed this shadow down some stairs and through the halls until you made it to a door. Opening the door, you froze when you saw what was displayed in front of you. 

Right down the stairs of this mansion lay a long black beast that had fins covered with hair around the ears and head that exceeded to the back and tail which was the shape of a fish. It's eyes being yellow slits and having four fangs hovering over its sharp teeth, it simply stared at you with a blank look.

 _'Holy shit.._.' You thought to yourself upon realizing what the hell that is, '.. _.It's the Great Leviathan_.' 

The very same beast that came in your dreams. It simply stared at you for a bit before edging closer as it exposed its back to you. Blinking, you slowly walked down the stairs to realize the beast leaned closer to you and gave you better access to its back. 

"You....you want me to ride you?" You asked as the Great Leviathan did nothing but stare you down. However, it's eyes did light up when you asked, so to you that's a yes. You gently grasped its back and hopped on it from which you soon slipped from virtual reality and found yourself standing in some ancient place - filled with slabs of what it seems to be pictures of people. 

_'What in the...?'_ You gasped as you looked around to find yourself surrounded with all these picture-like slabs. Infront of you lay a stones of a dragon's head, and right above it lay what it appears to be the face of a creature before you. _'...where am I?'_ You pondered and heard a loud bang. Startled, you turned around to find a man appear before you with a glare on his face. You recognized that man, the turquoise hair, the white and blue robe.

 _'....Dartz.'_ You realized and stared in horror as he approached the slabbed face, 

"...I don't understand..." Dartz hissed, "...I worked so hard just to get a glance from it, and _it turns to her?!_ " Dartz slammed his fists against the floor, "All I need is the Great Leviathan...nothing more, and it's with the girl who doesn't know how to properly use it?!" He seethed through his teeth, then soon smirked, "...that'll change...oh that'll definitely change. I'll get my stone back and I will be the rightful owner of the Great Leviathan and use it to fix humanity!" 

_'What is he talking about?'_ You blinked in confusion, as suddenly all around you became white. Covering your eyes from the bright light, you found yourself awake in some chamber. The first person to greet you from that chamber stared at you with such relief you couldn't help but tear up a bit. The white glass slowly opened, but once it was open enough, he grabbed you and pulled you to a tight hug. Oh the warmth, you missed it so much. You thought this whole time he was suffering but you were wrong. 

"Oh Gods, (y/n), you're so cold and you're shaking." Yami whispered as he held you tightly, "What in the world happened to you?!" He lifted you from the chambers and set you down, "Listen, (y/n), we need to get out of here. I'll explain after we're out." With that, he grabbed your hand and pulled you with him out. He ran down the long hallway and soon you realized you were outside and what stood before you was the blimp. Inside the blimp was everyone else. Joey's eyes lit when he saw you and reached out,

"PHARAOH GIVE HER TO ME!" Joey screamed as Yami looked at you,

"Hold on," Yami grabbed you,

"...wait hold-" You were out of breath and within moments Yami literally threw you. Letting out a yelp, you felt arms grab you as Joey pulled you close. 

"(y/n), you alright?!" Joey asked and watched you slowly nod. You were still processing what was happening while Mokuba was tossed into the blimp, as so was Seto and finally, Yami. The moment everyone was in, the blimp immediately took off. The air rumbled as an explosion was heard not far off from where the blimp was. Seto immediately took off and within moments, the ship was soon calm. 

You sat there in pure shock as Yami immediately knelt beside you and swept you from the floor. Just as everyone else was slowly adapting to what just happened, Yami took you straight to your room and closed the doors behind him. 

"...Wh-" You were really tired and had no idea what was happening. The moment the doors closed, you felt Yami hug you tightly once more, this time you realized his whole body was shaking. 

"....wh.....Yami-" You mumbled as Yami took a huge sigh, 

_"...You have no idea how happy I am right now being here with you."_ Yami's voice shook as he whispered in your ear. 

**_============================================_ **

**_To prevent this chapter from being exceedingly long, I needed to trim some episodes off the list, being Noah vs. Kaiba and Yugi, and Kaiba vs. Gozaburo. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and arc nonetheless, as I know Noah's arc is...boring and unnecessary. I figured I use this arc as a form of foreshadowing for later on :)_ **

**_~Ending; ~ _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


	27. Season 3; Episode 6

_**~Opening; ~ ** _

_**========================================** _

"Well, that was a rough ride," Tristan groaned as he stood from the ground, "I would never head back to that catastrophe, even if you paid me a million dollars." 

"Even so, I do feel really bad for Noah." Tea's eyes softened as she looked down at the sea, "I mean, in the end, he did sacrifice himself to save us." 

"I don't think he did." Joey shook his head, "That kid's a genius, he gotta save some file somewhere. He'll be back." 

"You really think so?" Serenity looked at her brother and watched him nod. 

"Well, all things aside, I can't wait to continue this duel right Yu-" Joey turned and noticed his short friend is gone, "Ey, where's Yugi?" He blinked and everyone looked around to find Yugi gone. 

"I have no idea, did he head to his room by any chance?" Tristan asked as Duke smirked,

"....and what a coincidence guys, (y/n)'s gone too." Duke hummed as his head rested on his fingers, "Wonder where she went~" 

"Oh stop it Duke." Tea snarked, "I am sure there's an explanation-" 

"Speaking of (y/n)," Joey's eyes narrowed as he looked at Tea, "Cause literally no one is bringing it up, I will. Tea, why do you hate (y/n) so much?" 

"Wh-" Tea stared at Joey in shock, "I-I don't hate (y/n)!" 

"Then why you talk so badly of her?" Joey asked, "You act like she's trash or that she's someone untrustworthy." 

"It-It's not that." Tea shook her head, "(y/n)'s my friend-"

"When Noah took her back in the virtual world you didn't seem to care much about it besides Yug'." Joey sneered, "In fact, you tried to tell Yugi to move on-"

"I didn't tell him to move on." Tea shook her head, "I tried to tell him that she's going to be o-"

"Telling Yugi "who cares she's fine now" doesn't sound very concerning of ya, Tea." Joey interrupted, "Especially when the pharaoh was having a literal heart attack." 

"...Tea did you really tell Yugi that?" Tristan gasped, 

"Don't tell me it's cause Yugi has a crush on (y/n)-" Duke smirked as Tea glared at him,

"Yugi doesn't like (y/n)." Tea shook her head, 

"You're right, Yugi doesn't." Joey shook his head as Tea smiled at him with relief,

"Thank you...someone-" Tea sighed with relief 

"I think you're missing my point." Joey crossed his arms, " _Yugi_ doesn't have a crush on (y/n). _The pharaoh_ does." 

"He does?!" Tristan gasped, "Wait, the pharaoh likes (y/n)?!" 

"Tristan, you are by far the most oblivious person I've ever met." Joey shook his head with a smirk and pointed at Duke, "Even Duke figured it out and he hasn't been around long enough like you." 

"Even I noticed," Serenity mumbled as Tristan turned red,

"Well...I...I don't see things as clear as you guys do can it be helped?!" Tristan mumbled,

"Even Mai knew and we literally don't see her." Joey raised an eyebrow and averted his gaze to Tea, "I don't know why you're actin' so jealous, do you like the ph-"

"It- It's not like that!" Tea shook her head as her voice grew, "I don't have a crush on the pharaoh! I truly think (y/n) is a good friend of mine-"

"Then why don't ya start actin' like she is." Joey sneered,

"It's just..." Tea bit her lip,

"Just?" Joey's eyebrow quirked,

"Just what? (Y/n)'s fine in my book." Duke tilted his head,

"Guys?" Tristan came in,

"It's just that....ugh..." Tea stared at the ground, 

"Guys. Ya might wanna take this conversation elsewhere." Tristan came in with a low voice,

"Why?" Joey asked,

"Oh! _Hey Yugi!_ " Duke emphasized as he greeted Yugi, "Where were you?" 

"Oh, The pharaoh took (y/n) to her room for her to rest for a bit before we continue the finals." Yugi explained, 

"Where is she? In your room~?" Duke asked with a grin, Yugi perked up and blushed, 

"...No...she's in her room," Yugi answered and looked at Joey and Tea, "Hey- Did something happen?" Yugi asked, a little concerned as he felt the intense atmosphere.

"Nothin'," Joey sighed, "We were just talkin' about Marik. That's all." He lied,

"Oh...yeah..." Yugi looked down and clenched his fists, "...I...I know he's been around messing with us but I am sure we will win this tournament and beat Marik!" 

"Yeah," Joey nodded and gave Yugi a smile, "We got about a while before we land, so might as well hang around until then!" 

"Mhm! Oh, wait I gotta get my duel disk from my room - I'll catch up with you guys!" Yugi perked and bolted back towards his room. 

"Aight, don't forget your deck too!" Joey smirked as he watched Yugi take off. Once he was out of sight, Joey turned to Tea with a frown, 

"Look Tea, you may have your weird reasons why, but I love and care for (y/n) as a friend. Rather than just saying you care for her, start actin' like it. You may think otherwise, but I am sure that even the pharaoh notices it just as I and everyone else do." Joey sternly told Tea as he kicked himself off the wall and walked over to Yugi's room. Silence filled the room as Serenity awkwardly followed her brother, then Tristan, then Duke - leaving Tea alone. 

"...I do care for her..." Tea mumbled to herself as she shook her head and turned around to meet up with everyone else in Yugi's room. 

\---------

Taking a huge sigh, you stared at the hot water that splashed down your entire body as you took the shower you felt was a necessity. 

You. Needed. This. You nodded upon that thought as you rinsed your hair that was soaked with shampoo that looked and smelled expensive. The shampoo slithered down your body and towards the drain as you whisked the conditioner for your hair. As you massaged your head with the conditioner, your head pondered about what had happened in the past, what seemed to be days when it could've been hours, events. 

If this whole virtual crisis didn't happen, you could very well be in the finals and possibly dueling Yugi. But noooo, the universe doesn't seem to be in your favor; especially you. Taking a sigh, you washed your body as you thought of the whole ordeal and how stressed everyone was...

well, except for Tea. 

Speaking of Tea, you wondered how she had been since Noah decided to gain custody of you and Mokuba and ditched you to some old mansion. The only "stress" Tea must've felt was when she dueled that penguin - 

_Oh, you gotta make fun of her for the penguin_. A thought popped in your head, _She's been indirectly bullying you for no reason, might as well bully her cause of a penguin_. 

Yeah, you nodded, "except I fought a door." You told yourself with a sigh, 

_**"Except you won without a scratch."**_ You heard the Seal, **_"She almost lost to a penguin."_**

You had to bite your lip to hold back a laugh, "...true." You agreed, "Very true." 

Changing the subject from Tea and penguins, you thought about Noah, now from what Yami had told you about recently. Speaking of....your cheats heated when you thought of Yami and how he reacted when he was in your room. 

_~45 minutes ago~_

_"Y...Yami hold on.." You were shocked as Yami held you tightly, "...What...What the hell happened-" You slowly rubbed Yami's back and felt him relax against you along with a long sigh from him._

_"Y...Yami?" You ask again as you stopped rubbing his back,_

_"...Sorry, (y/n)." Yami spoke as he turned his head in your direction._

_"What?" You blinked, "For what?"_

_"For letting all of this happen to you." Yami explained, "If I had known that Noah was going to take you, I would've been more careful."_

_"To be fair, I didn't know too." You said, "So, don't blame yourself for that."_

_"If Noah had you, what did he do to you." Yami tensed up, "He had Mokuba too, did you see him?"_

_"Oh...yeah." You nodded, "He can be a really good actor by the way."_

_"Why?" Yami asked,_

_"Well, I had this small act-" You froze as you explained - this could possibly inform him of the Seal. You could slip up._

_"Small act?" Yami asked, "Did he think you had something?"_

_"Yeah.." You slowly responded, "He thought I had something I didn't, and I kinda lied and went along with it and...he tried to attack Mokuba with it so I had to scheme up with him." You vaguely explained,_

_"Ah, Mokuba did mention that." Yami sighed. You froze when you heard that. Come again? Mokuba, do I have to slap you?_

_"What did Mokuba say?" You cautiously asked,_

_"He said that you pretended you have powers to remove memories and Mokuba played along, but the next thing he knew you were gone." Yami explained, "What happened?"_

_"Oh, he kinda ditched me?" You bit your lip, now realizing this is one awfully long hug, "I got thrown down to some old mansion."_

_"Why?" Yami tensed up as he rose his head from your shoulder and stared at you, "What did you do?"_

_"Uh.." Your cheeks heated, "...Noah...found me out? And he almost uh.." You started to get embarrassed, "....he told me he was gonna send you to some like....inescapable hell and I got really mad." You weren't lying there, Noah did say that and you did get mad. Whatever events that lead you to be flying towards a mansion were a blur to you._

_Yami's eyes softened, "I was never sent to anywhere like that though."_

_"Yeah, I figured." You shrugged your shoulders,_

_"Noah eventually went on our side and helped us escape." Yami explained, "He fought Kaiba earlier only for us to discover that Noah was Kaiba's stepfather's real son."_

_".....so we were involved in family drama." You narrowed your eye as Yami chuckled,_

_"Yeah, we were." He nodded, "And Gozaburo tried to keep us in the virtual world to take over Kaiba Corp, but we managed to escape because Noah sent us all back."_

_How weird, you never saw Noah. You only saw the-_

_....in hopes to not see the dragon while in this moment, you didn't say its name._

_"How did Noah send you back? I remember Noah said he couldn't find you." Yami asked, a little concerned._

_"Oh..." How in the hell are you gonna tell him that a dragon waltzed in and whisked you away like some feather? "...Noah found me." You lied._

_"Ah, so he did." Yami took a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness he di-" He seemed to stop talking and you saw his face turn red. It seemed he realized this was an awfully long hug as well as he quickly zapped his hands off you and held them together behind his back,_

_"W...Well...u..uh..." Yami gulped as he cleared his throat, "I-It's good that you're here- it's good that we're back." He rephrased, "w-we were all...well...we were worried about you."_

_"Everyone?" You cocked an eyebrow, this caught your attention; does that mean Tea worried about you as well?_

_"Well..." Yami bit his lip, almost as though he hesitated, "Yeah, everyone did."_

_Nope. You mentally shook your head, it seems not everyone. Yami's eyes narrowed and he took a step closer,_

_"...(Y/n)...you look incredibly tired," Yami noted. You didn't seem to realize it yourself until you felt your legs scream for some form of rest._

_"...(y/n), I recommend you go rest up a bit before we make it to the finals." Yami advised as he took your hand and pulled you to your bed. When he said 'I recommend' he meant 'I'm just letting you know this is what you're gonna do' because he gently pressed you in the bed, "You've been through probably more than everyone in this ship, so how about you rest up?"_

_You don't really remember much after that besides Yami leaving the room to leave you be, and soon you crashed onto your pillow and fell asleep for around 30 minutes._

_~Present time~_

Finishing up your shower and wrapping yourself with a towel, you hopped out of the shower and stared at yourself in the mirror. You stared at your own reflection, now feeling a little better but at the same time, you felt confused. 

What was the Great Leviathan showing you to be exact? So much happened at once you didn't find time to sit and try to get things straight. Well, first things first you gotta think more about _who_ the Great Leviathan was showing you.

Dartz. 

You have no idea who that man is, but you had the worst feeling he was going to be trouble. You soon recalled what Shadi had warned you before you were thrown in this loop 

_"You must take the Great Leviathan and make sure it doesn't go to the wrong hands, as you are the rightful owner. Or else the world is to fall in the clutch for despair and vengeance."_

You thought that was Yami's job to take care of, guess you were wrong. Not to mention you had this tiny feeling that the "wrong hands" Shadi was inferring to was probably Dartz's. 

You bit your lip as you walked to your closet and pulled out an outfit to wear. Once you put on your undergarments, you picked a pair of black leggings and a purple turtleneck shirt. You tied your wet hair to ensure frizzliless hair by the time it gets dry and sat on your couch. You pulled out your deck and stared at it for a bit before you heard a notification go off. Blinking, you rise and click on the communications button to find Yugi and everyone else outside. Allowing access, you opened the door, put your eyepatch on, and peeked out as Yugi walked down with a big smile,

"Hey, (y/n)!" Yugi greeted, "How are you feeling?" 

"A little better, and you?" You tilted your head as Joey practically bolted down,

"Yug' told me your room is big and I wann- HOLY SHIT." Joey gasped when he saw your room. You scooted a little to allow Joey inside, which he gladly did so while staring agape at your room.

"Holy cow, (y/n)!" Tristan whistled as he strolled in, "This place is huge!" 

"I know," You nodded, "Like some apartment." 

"I approve, hope you wouldn't mind if at random times you'll find me chilling on your couch." Duke sat on the couch, "Holy shit it's really comfortable too." He muttered,

"It's....nice." Tea mumbled and looked at you, "...hey, (y/n)?" She asked

"Hm?" You turned to look at her,

"...I just want to let you know that I see you as a really good friend." Tea clenched her fists as she spoke, "So....i-if you want to talk with me you can." 

_....did Tea have some sort of existential crisis or something?_

"...uh....yeah." You nodded as Serenity stared at your room with awe, 

"This is amazing!" Serenity gasped, "How did you get this room?" 

"My grandfather was involved with the making of this tournament, so Kaiba made this as gratitude." You explained,

"Never in my life have I ever heard the words "Kaiba" and "gratitude" in the same sentence." Joey stared at you in shock, 

"He may seem....egotistic...mysognistic....cruel..and occasionally risky.....but he does have some small episodes of gratitude." You shrugged in response, 

"Attention duelists, we will be landing soon to Kaiba's Tower, please head towards the front gate and exit as soon as we land." The speaker went off,

"Even the speaker sounds expensive." Duke looked up at the speaker,

"We better be heading over to the front then! I can't wait to duel!" Joey jumped and ran towards the door,

"Joey! Wait up!" Tristan gasped as he bolted after the blonde,

"Oh yeah! (Y/n) this means you'll be dueling very soon!" Yugi perked up with a huge grin, "I can't wait for that!" 

_Oh yeah!!_ You perked up upon remembering you are to duel very soon, "You're right!" You clasped your hands together as you quickly pulled out a black coat from your closet and grabbed your duel disk and deck. 

"I can't wait to watch (y/n) duel!" Serenity said excitedly as she took your hand, "I heard from Yugi you're really good!" 

"Oh...well...not really but I try." You sighed in response as Serenity wrapped her arm around yours. Tensing up a bit upon contact, you watched Tea sneer at you,

"Well, she did fight a door." Tea recalled, 

"Yeah, as you did with a penguin. And almost lost." You sneered back as you pushed aside your slight discomfort with Serenity and walked out of your room. Yugi, trying to hold back a laugh, followed you and Serenity while Duke laughed loudly, 

"That is true!" 

"Oh shut up Duke!" Tea snapped,

"Oh come on it was a joke!" Duke rose from the couch and walked out of your room, "Let's go, Tea. This isn't our room after all and we gotta go." 

"yeah...I'm coming." Tea clenched her fists and walked out of the room with Duke. 

Once everyone made it to the front gate, you tensed up already thinking about the possibilities of who you're going to duel, 

Could it be Joey? If you fought him you could have a slight chance on winning; especially since you have an idea about how he plays. 

How about Kaiba? He admits you're a good duelist, but knowing his ego and his deck, it could be a difficult one. Especially with the spell card Enemy Controller, ooh boy that'll be a drag. 

_Wait wouldn't that just make it harder for him to get the card that he wants?_

You blinked and slowly averted your eye to Yugi, what would happen if you ended up dueling him?

Well, you'd probably lose. Yeah, no way you'd win. Besides, he has a destiny he needs to do with this tournament. If you get Yugi as your opponent kiss your luck goodbye. 

Who else do you need to- 

You froze upon thinking of the last person to duel; Marik. The likeliness of winning is very slim, but possible. If he doesn't cast The Winged Dragon of Ra, you should be good....

Again, _if_ he doesn't cast his Egyptian God Card. As if he's _not_ going to cast that card. 

Soon, you felt a tiny bump from below and soon the gates opened to ground.

"Finally...real ground." You rolled your eye,

"I know!" Serenity giggled in response as everyone walked down to the ground. Kaiba soon emerged shortly and stared at you,

"(y/n). As the rules apply, you have to fight one of the final duelists that are still around. Unfortunately for you though, you cannot choose your opponent, the lottery machine chose it for you and I have the number here." Kaiba pulled out a slip of paper,

"Alright! I want her to duel me!" Joey smirked, "That'd be fun." 

"It would!" Serenity nodded,

"Nah, I want her to face Kaiba." Duke smirked, "I want to see Kaiba's face when he gets beat." 

Kaiba sneered at Duke but opened the paper nonetheless and stared at you

"(y/n), you'll be facing number seven." Kaiba responded, 

"Number seven?" Tea blinked, "Who was number seven again?" 

**"No."** All of a sudden you heard Yami and within seconds he was standing in front of you. "Kaiba there is no way in hell you're having (y/n) duel _Marik_." Yami hissed with a glare. 

_**========================================** _

_**~Ending; ~ ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugioh/Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi  
> Yugioh anime belongs to Toei Animation  
> English dub that I am using belongs to 4Kids Entertainment


End file.
